Microscopic approach of fission dynamics applied to fragment kinetic energy and mass distributions in 238U

The collective dynamics of low energy fission in 238U is described within a time-dependent formalism based on the Gaussian Overlap Approximation of the time-dependent Generator Coordinate Method. The intrinsic deformed configurations of the nucleus are determined from the self-consistent Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov procedure employing the effective force D1S with constraints on the quadrupole and octupole moments. Fragment kinetic energy and mass distributions are calculated and compared with experimental evaluations. The effect of the collective dynamics along the fission paths and the influence of initial conditions on these distributions are analyzed and discussed.