Electrofission ofU238

Calculation of the integrated electrofission cross section for ${\mathrm{U}}^{238}$, based on the known photofission cross section, shows that the photonuclear giant resonance can account for only about 15% of the cross section when the incident electron energy is large (≃500 MeV). The plane-wave approximation can be used; distortion of the electron wave functions produces less than 10% enhancement of the integrated cross section. Alternative mechanisms, which may contribute to electrofission, are introduced.