The absolute electrofission cross section of ${}_{}{}^{208}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Pb}$ was measured in the energy range 35–250 MeV, and the photofission cross section was deduced by means of the virtual-photon technique. A structure observed in the (γ,f) curve, around 200 MeV, was interpreted on the basis of recent calculations for the thermalization process which were performed in the framework of the intranuclear cascade model.

• Received 16 March 1989

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.41.354