Fission Reactions
❑ Fission may be defined as the process
of splitting an atomic nucleus into
fission fragments
❑ The fission fragments are generally in
the form of smaller atomic nuclei and
neutrons
❑ Large amounts of energy are
produced by the fission process
Fission Reactions
Fission Reactions
Some Examples of Fission Reactions
235 U + 10n →14156Ba + 9236Kr + 3 10n +Energy
92
235 U + 10n →13150Sn + 10342Mo + 2 10n +Energy 235 U + 10n→
92 92
137 Te + 9740Zr + 2 10n +Energy
52
235 U + 10n →13854Xe + 9538Sr + 3 10n +Energy
92
235 U + 10n→15260Nd + 8132Ge + 3 10n +Energy
92
Fission Reactions
There are two types of fission reaction exist as:
(i) Spontaneous Fission (ii)Induced Fission
❑Spontaneous fission is a ❑ Nuclear fission can be
naturally occurring nuclear induced by bombarding atoms
decay event that a few with neutrons.
different elements undergo
❑The nuclei of the atoms then
split into 2 equal parts.
❑Uranium and plutonium, ❑Induced fission decays are
which are radioactive, are the also accompanied by the
most well known of the release of neutrons.
fissionable elements, and they
can do this in nature
Important Characteristics of Fission Reactions
Mass Distribution of Fragments
Important Characteristics of Fission Reactions
Mass Distribution of Fragments
❑ Fission fragments have a double bell distribution as a function of A (Mass
Number).
❑Note that they are unstable, as are neutron rich they decay towards stable
nuclei by a chain of beta decays.
❑This yields the so called “fission products”.
Important Characteristics of Fission Reactions
Mass Distribution of Fragments
Important Characteristics of Fission Reactions
Mass Distribution of Fragments
❑ Fission product yields by mass for thermal neutron fission of
235U, 239Pu, a combination of the two typical of current nuclear
power reactors, and 233U used in the thorium cycle.
Number of Emitted Neutrons
(i) Prompt Neutrons: They are those accompanying the
two nuclear fragments as the 2n in
235U+n→ 93Rb + 141Cs+2n
In the case of 235U, there are on the average 2.42 prompt
neutrons
(ii) Delayed Neutrons: These are associated with the beta
decay of the fission products. Delayed neutrons are essential
for the control of nuclear reactors.
Number of Emitted Neutrons
Number of Emitted Neutrons
❑ Distribution of fission neutrons.
❑Even though the average number of neutrons ν changes with the
fissioning nucleus.
❑ The distribution about the average is independent of the original
nucleus.
Number of Emitted Neutrons
Delayed Neutron Emission from 93Rb(Rubidium)
Number of Emitted Neutrons
Delayed Neutron Emission from 93Rb(Rubidium)
❑Delayed Neutron Emission from 93Rb.
❑After the original β decay, the excited state of 93Sr has enough
energy to decay by neutron emission to 92Sr(Strontium).
❑The neutrons are delayed relative to the prompt fission
neutrons by a time characteristic of the mean lifetime of 93Rb
Radioactive Decay Processes
❑ The initial fission products are
highly radioactive and decay
toward stable isobars by
emitting many β and γ
radiations(which contribute
ultimately to the total energy
release in fission).
❑These radioactive products
are the waste products of
nuclear reactors.
Fission Cross-section
Fission Cross-section
❑235U will fission (n,f) at all energies of the absorbed neutron.
❑235U fission cross section can grow Very large, to 500 barns sat thermal energies
❑238U has a threshold for fission (n, f) at a neutron energy of 1 MeV
❑There is very strong resonant capture of neutrons (n, γ) for energies in the range
10-100 eV - particularly in the case of 238U where the cross-section reaches very
high values.
Energy in Fission
❑ The excitation energy is
Eex = [m (236U*) –m (236U)] c2 = 931.50
MeV/u = 6.5 MeV
❑ The activation energy =6.2 MeV
Energy in Fission
❑Binding energy for a nucleus AZX
is Q
(Z,N)=[Zmp +Nmn − m(AZX)]c2
❑ Typical Fission events Release
200 MeV
❑For 235U: ~235 MeV
Controlled Fission Reactions
❑ Nuclear power plants work by controlling the rate of the
nuclear reactions and that control is maintained through
several safety measures.
❑The materials in a nuclear reactor core and the uranium
enrichment level make a nuclear explosion impossible, even
if all safety measures failed.
❑On the other hand, nuclear weapons are engineered to
produce a reaction that is so fast and intense it cannot be
controlled after it has started. When properly designed, this
uncontrolled reaction can lead to an explosive energy
release.
Controlled Fission Reactions
Neutron Multiplication factor(k)
❑ The effective neutron multiplication factor, k, is the average
number of neutrons from one fission that causes fission:
❑ k=(Number of Neutrons in one generation)/ (Number of neutrons
in preceding generation)
❑ The remaining neutrons either are absorbed in non-fission
reactions or leave the system
without being absorbed.
❑ The value of k determines
how a nuclear chain
reaction proceeds.
❑k 1 Chain reaction Chain reacting pile
❑k < 1 subcritical
Controlled Fission Reactions
❑k = 1 critical system
Neutron Multiplication factor(k)
❑k > 1 supercritical
❑ For steady release of
energy (steady- state
operation) we need k =1
Controlled Fission Reactions
Four –factors formula
❑Neutron multiplication factor in an infinite medium k∞
k∞=ηfpɛ (Four-factor formula)
❑η- reproduction factor - the number of fission neutrons produced
per absorption in the fuel
❑f - the thermal utilization factor - probability that a neutron that
gets absorbed does so in the fuel material
❑p - the resonance escape probability - fraction of fission neutrons
that manage to slow down from fission to thermal energies
without being absorbed
❑ɛ- the fast fission factor = (Total Number of fission
neutrons)/(Number of fission neutrons from just thermal fission)
Controlled Fission Reactions
Four –factors formula
Fuel Use in the Reactor
In nature there are only 3 isotopes
- 235U, 238U and 232Th –which can
be used as nuclear fuel (235U) or
reproduction of fuel (as 238U
→239Pu; 232Th →233U ). Naturally
occurring uranium consists 99.3%
of 238U and only 0.7% of 235U i.e. for
1 nucleus of 235U there are 140
nuclei of 238U.
Moderator
In nuclear reactors there are
neutron moderators, which
reduce the velocity of fast
neutrons, thereby turning them
into thermal neutrons.
The following substances are
commonly used as moderators.
❑ graphite,
❑ H2O, D2O
❑ He
❑Be (high temperature liquid
metal).
❑Na (773 to 873 K used in
breeder reactor)
❑BeF2 + ZrF4 (for GCR)
❑ A control rod is a rod made
of chemical elements capable of
absorbing many neutrons without
fissioning themselves. They are
used in nuclear reactors to
control the rate of fission
of uranium and plutonium.
❑Usually, Cadmium, Boron,
Carbon, Cobalt, Silver, Hafnium,
Gadolinium and Europium are
common elements used in
control rods.
Absorber
