neutrons required to maintain fission uranium 233

NEUTRONS REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN FISSION URANIUM 233 FREE

NEUTRONS REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN FISSION URANIUM 233 FREE

The positive ions and free electrons created by the passage of the charged fission fragment will then reunite, releasing energy in the form of heat (e.g., vibrational energy or rotational energy of atoms). Creation of ion pairs requires energy, which is lost from the kinetic energy of the charged fission fragment causing it to decelerate. The fission fragments interact strongly with the surrounding atoms or molecules traveling at high speed, causing them to ionize. On the other hand most of the energy released by one fission (~168MeV of total ~200MeV) appears as kinetic energy of these fission fragments. Most of the fission fragments are highly unstable (radioactive) nuclei and undergo further radioactive decays to stabilize itself, therefore part of the released energy is radiated away from the reactor (See also: Reactor antineutrinos). It is much more probable to break up into unequal fragments, and the most probable fragment masses are around mass 93 (strontium) and 137 (xenon). The cross-section of U 233 was found to be 578 ± 17 barns, compared with gold taken as 98♶ barns. The average of the fragment atomic mass is about 112, but very few fragments near that average are found. The ratio of the thermal-neutron absorption cross-sections of U 233 and gold has been determined using a modification of the Clinton oscillator. Typically, when uranium 233 nucleus undergoes fission, the nucleus splits into two smaller nuclei (triple fission can also rarely occur), along with a few neutrons (the average is 2.48 neutrons per fission for thermal fission) and release of energy in the form of heat and gamma rays. Inherent passive safety criteria can be met, and power peaking phenomena. The capture-to-fission ratio is much smaller than the other two major fissile fuels 235U and 239U. Core lifetime can be maintained at 25 years, without the need for any additional fuel. About 94% of all absorption reactions result in fission. Therefore about 6% of all absorption reactions result in radiative capture of neutrons. The cross-section for radiative capture for thermal neutrons is about 45 barns (for 0.0253 eV neutron). Most absorption reactions result in fission reaction, but a minority results in radiative capture forming 234U. For fast neutrons, its fission cross-section is on the order of barns. The addition of a neutron in the former case liberates sufficient binding energy to induce fission. Uranium 233 is a very good fissile isotope, and its fission cross-section for thermal neutrons is about 531 barns (for 0.0253 eV neutron). Most nuclei that are fissionable with slow neutrons contain an odd number of neutrons (e.g., uranium-233, uranium-235, or plutonium-239), whereas most of those requiring fast neutrons (e.g., thorium-232 or uranium-238) have an even number.

Neutrons required to maintain fission uranium 233