Electron-capture delayed fission properties of [sup 228]Np

Electron-capture delayed fission was positively identified for the first time in [sup 228]Np produced via the [sup 233]U(50-MeV [ital p],6[ital n])[sup 228]Np reaction. The half-life of the observed fission activity was measured to be 61.4[plus minus]1.4 s. The ECDF mode was verified by an x-ray--fission coincidence experiment. Only about 25% of the expected x-ray--fission coincidences were detected which indicates that [sup 228]U does not have a fission isomer populated by the electron-capture and that the overall lifetime of the high-energy states populated by the electron-capture is less than about 10[sup [minus]17] s. The fission activity was assigned to ECDF of [sup 228]Np based on chemical separation and observation of known progeny activities. The ratio of electron-capture to alpha decay is 1.5[plus minus]0.4 for [sup 228]Np. The production cross section for [sup 228]Np is 35[plus minus]10 [mu]b and the delayed fission probability is (2.0[plus minus]0.9)[times]10[sup [minus]4]. The kinetic energies of coincident fission fragments were measured and a pre-neutron emission, most probable total kinetic energy, of 169[plus minus]6 MeV was obtained. The mass-yield distribution was found to be predominantly asymmetric.