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Nuclear physics. In nuclear physics and nuclear chemistry, a nuclear reaction is a process in which two nuclei, or a nucleus and an external subatomic particle, collide to produce one or more new nuclides. Thus, a nuclear reaction must cause a transformation of at least one nuclide to another. If a nucleus interacts with another nucleus or ...
v. t. e. Nuclear fusion is a reaction in which two or more atomic nuclei, usually deuterium and tritium (hydrogen isotopes), combine to form one or more different atomic nuclei and subatomic particles (neutrons or protons). The difference in mass between the reactants and products is manifested as either the release or absorption of energy.
Diagram of the D-T reaction. The easiest nuclear reaction, at the lowest energy, is D+T: 2 1 D + 3 1 T → 4 2 He (3.5 MeV) + 1 0 n (14.1 MeV) This reaction is common in research, industrial and military applications, usually as a neutron source. Deuterium is a naturally occurring isotope of hydrogen and is commonly available.
Lawson criterion. The Lawson criterion is a figure of merit used in nuclear fusion research. It compares the rate of energy being generated by fusion reactions within the fusion fuel to the rate of energy losses to the environment. When the rate of production is higher than the rate of loss, the system will produce net energy.
The reaction rate density between species A and B, having number densities n A,B, is given by: = where k is the reaction rate constant of each single elementary binary reaction composing the nuclear fusion process: = here, σ(v) is the cross-section at relative velocity v, and averaging is performed over all velocities.
The proton–proton chain, also commonly referred to as the p–p chain, is one of two known sets of nuclear fusion reactions by which stars convert hydrogen to helium. It dominates in stars with masses less than or equal to that of the Sun, [2] whereas the CNO cycle, the other known reaction, is suggested by theoretical models to dominate in ...
[1] [page needed] In conjunction with the neutron flux, it enables the calculation of the reaction rate, for example to derive the thermal power of a nuclear power plant. The standard unit for measuring the cross section is the barn, which is equal to 10 −28 m 2 or 10 −24 cm 2. The larger the neutron cross section, the more likely a neutron ...
Deuterium–tritium fusion (sometimes abbreviated D+T) (DTF) is a type of nuclear fusion in which one deuterium (2 H) nucleus (deuteron) fuses with one tritium (3 H) nucleus (triton), giving one helium-4 nucleus, one free neutron, and 17.6 MeV of total energy coming from both the neutron and helium. It is the best known fusion reaction for ...