DYNAMICS OF NUCLEAR-FISSION

The most interesting process of collective flow of nuclear matter is the fission process. The time-scale of this process at moderate to high excitation energies is reviewed. Various methods to measure the time associated with large scale collective flow of nuclei in the range of 10(-21) to 10(-17) s are compared. Pre- and post-scission multiplicities of light particles in particular neutrons are shown to be a sensitive probe of the dynamics of nuclear fission. A systematics of pre- and post-scission neutron multiplicities associated with nuclear fission is presented. The magnitude of nuclear dissipation deduced from pre- and post-scission neutron multiplicities is compared with theoretical estimates.