Spontaneous FissionversusAlpha-Decay

Abstract : A plot of the ratio of spontaneous fission half-lives to alpha disintegration half-lives vs. the fissionability parameter (Z square/A) indicates that, in the case of even-even nuclei, the spontaneous mode of decay becomes the more predominant as Z square/A increases. The opposite appears to be true for odd-neutron nucleides. The effect of the odd neutron may be such as to favor an anomolously higher frequency for a highly assymetric configuration; i.e., a configuration leading to alpha decay.