Professional Documents
Culture Documents
7/20/2018
Mass Defect
The nucleus
• is composed of protons and neutrons
• the actual mass is less than the mass of
the separate particles.
The "missing" mass is in the form of
energy holding the nucleus together.
7/20/2018
Uranium-238
The nuclear mass nucleons
of uranium-238 is (protons & neutrons)
238.0003 amu
238U
92
7/20/2018
Masses of Atoms
The nuclear mass of 238U is 238.0003
7/20/2018
Binding Energy
The mass defect indicates the total
energy involved in holding the nucleus
together.
To determine the stability of the
nucleus, the binding energy per nuclear
particle is a better measure.
7/20/2018
Binding Energy of 238U
1.9353 amu
DE = Dmc2 = 931.5 MeV/amu
= 7.57 MeV
7/20/2018
Binding Energy
62Ni
7/20/2018
Nuclear Fission
Fissionablematerials
Daughter products
Energy release
Nuclear chain reactions
Nuclear reactors
• Control rods
• Breeder reactor
7/20/2018
Nuclear Fission
Nuclear process in which the nucleus of
the atom breaks into two large
fragments.
Fissionable materials
• undergo spontaneous fission or
• can be converted into a fissionable isotope
Neutron capture can result in daughter
products which are more fissionable.
7/20/2018
Fissionable Materials
Fissionable Non-Fissionable
235U 238U
239Pu 207Pb
12C
7/20/2018
Fissionable Materials
Natural abundance:
235U = 0.7%
238U = 99.3%
7/20/2018
Fission Daughter Products
Spontaneous fission is a statistical process
resulting in several different daughter isotopes.
7/20/2018
Nuclear Chain Reaction
In the previous disintegration process
there are an average of 2.3 neutrons
generated per disintegration.
If one neutron is captured for each
nuclear disintegration that occurs, the
reaction is self-sustaining.
7/20/2018
Nuclear Chain Reaction
fissionable
material
7/20/2018
Nuclear Chain Reaction
7/20/2018
Nuclear Chain Reaction
7/20/2018
Nuclear Chain Reaction
7/20/2018
Nuclear Chain Reaction
7/20/2018
Nuclear Chain Reaction
7/20/2018
Nuclear Chain Reaction
7/20/2018
Nuclear Chain Reaction
7/20/2018
Nuclear Chain Reaction
7/20/2018
Nuclear Chain Reaction
7/20/2018
Nuclear Chain Reaction
7/20/2018
Nuclear Chain Reaction
7/20/2018
Nuclear Chain Reaction
7/20/2018
Nuclear Chain Reaction
7/20/2018
Control Rods
Control rods regulate the rate of reaction
by controlling the neutron flux.
7/20/2018
Thermal Neutron Capture Cross-Section
2H 0.00051 0.00001 b
10B 0.5 0.2 b
12C 0.0034 0.0003 b
113Cd 20000 300 b
235U 680 2 b
238U 2.720 0.025 b
Which of these elements would limit
excess neutrons?
7/20/2018
Nuclear Reactor
7/20/2018
Nuclear Reactor
7/20/2018
Breeder Reactor
Converts non-fissionable material into
fissionable material
Non-fissionable Fissionable
7/20/2018
Nuclear Fusion
Process by which lighter nuclei combine
to form heavier nuclei.
4 1H + 2 e– 4He2+
Dm = 0.02758 g·mol–1
7/20/2018
Nuclear Mechanisms
proton-proton mechanism
( 1H + 1H 2H + b+ ) x2
( 2H + 1H 3He + g ) x2
3He + 3He 4He + 2 1H
( b+ + e– 2 g ) x2
( b + + e– 2 g ) x2
2 e– + 4 1H 4He + 7 g
7/20/2018
Reaction Conditions
For two nuclei to react, they must be moving
at high velocities to overcome the coulombic
repulsion of two positive charges.
Typical thermal energies of @107 K in a star.
7/20/2018
Laboratory Attempts
Laser Fusion
• 3H + 2H 4He + 1H
• Frozen sample heated to 106 K by laser
Cold Fusion
• Room temperature process involving
deuterium dissolved in a metal matrix
• 2H + 2H 4He + g
7/20/2018
Energy Comparison
Typical Reaction Energy Released
7/20/2018
On Line File of Nuclide Data
http://necs01.dne.bnl.gov/CoN/
7/20/2018
7/20/2018
7/20/2018