READINGQUIZ

Which of these isotopes is a common

fuel for nuclear reactors?

1. uranium-235
2. uranium-236
3. uranium-237

Lecture41:Fission,Fusion,powerplants,bombs
1. Discoveryoffission
2. E=mc2,nuclearvschemicalenergies
3. Chainreaction,criticalmass
4. Isotopeenrichment
5. Powerplants,controlrods
6. Atomicbombs
7. Fusion
8. Hydrogenthermonuclearbombs

LectureQuiz41Question1:
SupposeyouhadabeamofneutronsaimedatatargetofUranium
(Z=92).Yourgoalistoartificiallycreateanelementwitha
largeratomicnumber,likeNeptunium(Z=93).Howcouldthis
happen?
A. NeutronshittingaUraniumnucleuscanbecapturedbyit,and
addingoneneutronturnsitintoNeptunium.
B. OneneutroniscapturedbyaUraniumnucleus,whichthen
undergoesbetadecayandturnsintoNeptunium.
C. OneneutroniscapturedbyaUraniumnucleus,whichthen
undergoesgammadecayandturnsintoNeptunium.

LectureQuiz41Question2:
YouaimabeamofneutronsataUraniumtarget,andthenseeif
anyNeptuniumispresent.Instead,youfindBarium(Z=56).
Whathappened?
A. Theneutronsfusedintoalphaparticles,whichthenfused
intolargernuclei,untilBariumwasformed.
B. TheneutronbeamcausedtheUraniumnucleustoemitalpha
particles,untilwhatwasleftwasaBariumnucleus.
C. OneneutronaddedtotheUraniumnucleuscausedittobreak
intopieces,oneofwhichwasBarium.
D. UraniumspontaneouslydecaysintoBariumwithsome
characteristichalflife,evenifthereisnoneutronbeam.

FISSION

Barium-142 and krypton-91 are two possible fission

fragments produced when a neutron is absorbed by
uranium-235, causing a fission reaction.

NuclearenergycomesfromE=mc2.
Nuclearreaction:He4+Be9>C12+n1
Initialmass=13.014u
Finalmass=13.008u
m=0.006u~10me
Sox1013Joules
~6,000,000eV
~6millionchemicalbonds!!!

SimilarresultsobtainedfromFISSION:

n+U235>Kr91+Ba142+3n

A chain reaction involving nuclear fission. Neutrons

are produced in each fission of a uranium-235 nucleus,
which, in turn, can initiate more fission reactions.

ISOTOPICENRICHMENT
NaturalUranium:

0.7%U235
99.3%mostlyU238

OnlyU235isfissile,releasingneutronsspontaneously.
Theseneutronsaretoofasttocauseachainreactionatthis
concentration.
Iftheyaresloweddown,chainreactionisadequateforanuclear
powerplant.
IftheU235isenrichedtomaybe7%,thenthefastneutronscan
causeachainreaction.Ifthereisacriticalmass,anuclearbombis
possible.

ISOTOPICENRICHMENT
However,enrichmentisverydifficult!
Ittakeshugefactoriestoproduceafewpoundsofbombgrade
uranium.(Ormany,manysmallfactories.)
UNinspectorsinIRAQ(andIran)werelookingfortheindustrial
infrastructurenecessarytoenrichuranium.

A diagram of a modern pressurized-water nuclear

reactor. Hot water coming from the reactor is
converted to steam when the pressure is reduced
in the steam generators. The steam turns the
turbines, which power the electric generator.

Control rods absorb neutrons, stopping the chain reaction.

The gun concept used in the Little Boy uranium bomb

design. A subcritical-size cylinder of uranium-235 is fired
into the hole in a subcritical sphere of uranium-235
to make a supercritical mass of uranium-235.

The Fat Man plutonium bomb used chemical

explosives arranged around a subcritical mass of
plutonium-239. When imploded by the explosives,
the increased density makes this mass supercritical.

FUSION

A deuterium nucleus and a tritium nucleus combine

to form a helium-4 nucleus and a neutron. The
difference in the masses is converted to the
kinetic energy of the emerging particles.

FUSION

massdifference~0.019u~30me
energygain~20,000,000chemicalbonds!!!

THERMONUCLEAR (HYDROGEN) BOMB

A fission bomb is exploded around the fusion fuel to
produce the high temperatures and density required
for a fusion chain reaction in a thermonuclear bomb.

LectureQuiz
WhatisthepurposeofbuildingaGraphite
moderatedreactor?
1. powerusage
2. produceweapongradematerial
3. produceweaponsgradematerialandpower
production

LectureQuiz
WhatfractionofnaturalUraniumisusedas
thefuelinacommercialnuclearreactor?
95%
50%
25%
10%
Lessthan1%

LectureQuiz
WhatisthePlutoniumeconomy?
U(238)isconvertedtoPu(239)forpower
production
Plutoniumismadeintobombstothreatenother
countriesfortheirnaturalresources.
Plutoniumisturnedintogoldbynuclearreactions
Everonewillbewatchbybigbrotherbecause
everyonewillhavePuattheirbasementforenergy
production.