Delayed nuclear fission

The experimental techniques and results on delayed nuclear fission are revi ewed. In this process the daughter nucleus produced in K capture of the par ent nucleus undergoes fission from an excited state. The main experimental results are described. The qualitative theory of the process is discussed. The possibility of determining the fission barrier heights from the experim ental data on delayed fission, in particular, on P-DF, the probability of d elayed fission, is studied. Special attention is given to the techniques of measuring the main characteristics of the delayed-fission process. (C) 199 9 American Institute of Physics. [S1063-7796(99)00406-4].