Energy Loss by Fission Fragments in Nitrogen

Energy loss by fission fragments in nitrogen gas was studied by means of a pulse technique that measured luminescence excited by a low-intensity Cf²⁵² spontaneous fission source. A novel kinetic analysis of competing emission and quenching reactions was developed that gives the power law dependency of energy loss by the fragments in a luminescing gas from the pressure at which maximum luminosity is observed. For nitrogen, the relationship E = E₀(1−f)^{1.70 ± 0.07} is valid for 0.4 E₀ < E < E₀. The term E is used for the kinetic energy of a fission fragment of initial energy E₀ that has traveled a fraction f of its total range.