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E B = binding energy, a v = nuclear volume coefficient, a s = nuclear surface coefficient, a c = electrostatic interaction coefficient, a a = symmetry/asymmetry extent coefficient for the numbers of neutrons/protons,
The multiplication factor, k, is defined as (see nuclear chain reaction): k = number of neutrons in one generation / number of neutrons in preceding generation . If k is greater than 1, the chain reaction is supercritical, and the neutron population will grow exponentially.
Concerns over nuclear waste accumulation and the destructive potential of nuclear weapons are a counterbalance to the peaceful desire to use fission as an energy source. The thorium fuel cycle produces virtually no plutonium and much less minor actinides, but 232 U - or rather its decay products - are a major gamma ray emitter.
In a nuclear reaction, the total (relativistic) energy is conserved. The "missing" rest mass must therefore reappear as kinetic energy released in the reaction; its source is the nuclear binding energy. Using Einstein's mass-energy equivalence formula E = mc 2, the amount of energy released can be
Nuclear reactor physics is the field of physics that studies and deals with the applied study and engineering applications of chain reaction to induce a controlled rate of fission in a nuclear reactor for the production of energy. [1] Most nuclear reactors use a chain reaction to induce a controlled rate of nuclear fission in fissile material ...
The largest source of fission products is from nuclear reactors. In current nuclear power reactors, about 3% of the uranium in the fuel is converted into fission products as a by-product of energy generation. Most of these fission products remain in the fuel unless there is fuel element failure or a nuclear accident, or the fuel is reprocessed.
Nuclear fission is the reverse process to fusion. For nuclei heavier than nickel-62 the binding energy per nucleon decreases with the mass number. It is therefore possible for energy to be released if a heavy nucleus breaks apart into two lighter ones. The process of alpha decay is in essence a special type of spontaneous nuclear fission. It is ...
The difference between the two masses is called the mass defect and is related to the binding energy through Einstein's formula. [31] [32] [33] The principle is used in modeling nuclear fission reactions, and it implies that a great amount of energy can be released by the nuclear fission chain reactions used in both nuclear weapons and nuclear ...