Economic Technology of Nuclear Power

THE utilization of atomic energy depends on the reactions that occur between neutrons and the nuclei of atoms. These reactions can occur in a variety of ways. In the most common nuclear reaction, the nucleus captures the neutron forming an isotope of higher atomic weight. This isotope is usually radioactive and decays to form a new element. In the reaction, the nucleus splits into two parts forming a variety of lighter elements and releasing a number of additional neutrons. Although many heavy nuclei undergo both fission and capture reactions with neutrons, only a few have a higher probability of fission than capture. Since these few generate excess neutrons and are capable of sustaining a nuclear chain reaction, they are called nuclei. The most common fissionable materials are uranium 233, uranium 235, and plutonium 239. Of these, only the uranium 235 occurs in nature as 0.71 per cent of normal uranium. The remaining 99.3 per cent is uranium 238, which has a very low fission-tocapture probability and does not fission enough to sustain a nuclear reaction. If normal uranium is bombarded with neutrons, two primary reactions occur. These are

Enriched uranium · Fast fission · Fissile material · Fission · Fission product yield · Isotope · Isotopes of uranium · Long-lived fission product · Neutron · Neutron emission · Neutron temperature · Nuclear fission · Nuclear physics · Nuclear reaction · Physics · Plutonium · Plutonium-239 · Radiochemistry · Spontaneous fission · Uranium · Uranium-235 · Uranium-238 · Chemistry · Global Energy and Sustainability Research · Graphite, nuclear technology, radiation studies · Nuclear reactor physics and engineering

• Changing Nature

  Open Access•Jacquelyn Southern•International Labor and…•2014

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