Monte Carlo simulation for fragment mass and kinetic energy distributions from the neutron-induced fission of 235U

The mass and kinetic energy distribution of nuclear fragments from the thermal neutron-induced fission of U-235 have been studied using a Monte Carlo simulation. Besides reproducing the pronounced broadening on the standard deviation of the final fragment kinetic energy distribution (sigma(e)(m)) around the mass number m = 109, our simulation also produces a second broadening around m = 125 that is in agreement with the experimental data obtained by Belhafaf et al. These results are a consequence of the characteristics of the neutron emission, the variation in the primary fragment mean kinetic energy, and the yield as a function of the mass.