-10differing magnetic field intensities gave the same fraction of the total beam in
the +1 charge state.
Table I presents the results of a series of runs on seven different masses.

The fraction of the total beam present in each ionic charge state is given for
each mass measured.
from mass tomass.

It is obvious that the charge pattern varies strongly
In an attempt to understand the reason for the behavior

of each mass chain, we have also tabulated the composition of each mass chain

at the time of formation as calculated by Weaver et al. ! The lower part of
Table I is arranged so that the elements making up the lower-mass chains (91,
97, and 99) are on the same row of the table as the homologous elements making up the higher-mass chains (131,

132,

141, and 143).

While the prediction

of chain composition cannot be regarded as reliable in the present state of
knowledge of the fission process,

it should serve as a general guide.

some correlation of charge distribution with chemical properties is at
once apparent.

Masses 97 and 99, with similar precursors, have similar

charge distribution patterns; so also do masses 131 and 132,

Mass 91, for

which the most abundant species is a noble gas, has a high abundance of single

and double charges; mass 143 has a low abundance of the noble-gas member of
the chain and a much lower abundance of single-charge beam than of doublecharge; mass 141 has a substantially higher abundanceof noble gas anda
higher abundance of single charges.
While the data are sparse and the predictions of chemical nature un-

certain, there are enough indications of dependence of charge distribution on
chemical nature to be quite interesting.

At the same time, such a dependence

makes the experimental measurement of independent isobaric yields by study
of the low-charged fragments considerably more difficult than was anticipated.

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