MODERN PHYSICS ASSIGNMENT

Nuclear Fission - Nature of Fragments and Emission of Neutrons

Submitted By – Shozab Ghazi Naqvi

705
Hansraj College, DU
 BINDING ENERGY

The hydrogen isotope deuterium 12H , has a neutron as well as a proton in its
nucleus. Thus we expect the mass of the deuterium atom to be equal to that of 11H
atom plus the mass of a neutron:

Mass of 11H atom = 1.007825 u

Mass of neutron = 1.008665 u

Expected mass of 12H atom = 2.016490 u (Adding the above two)

However, the measured mass of the 21H atom is 2.014102 u, which is 0.002388 u less
than the combined masses of a 11H atom and a neutron.

The missing mass corresponds to the energy given off when a 21H nucleus is formed
from a free proton and a neutron. The energy equivalent of the missing mass is -

E = (0.002388 u x 931.49 MeV/u) = 2.224 MeV

The energy required to break apart a deuterium nucleus into a neutron and a proton
turns out to be 2.224 MeV. When, energy less than 2.224 MeV is given to a 12H
nucleus, the nucleus stays together. When the energy is more than 2.224 MeV, the
extra energy goes into kinetic energy of the neutron and proton as they fly apart.

The energy equivalent of the missing mass of a nucleus is called the Binding Energy
of the Nucleus. The greater the binding energy, more energy must be supplied to
break up the nucleus.

Binding Energy per Nucleon

The binding energy per nucleon for a nucleus is an average, found by dividing total
binding energy by the number of nucleons. Thus the binding energy per nucleon for
2
1 H nucleus is 2.224 MeV / 2 = 1.112 MeV/nucleon.
 NUCLEAR FISSION

A lot of binding energy will be released If we can break a large nucleus into smaller
ones. But nuclei are not easy to split. We need to break a heavy nucleus without
using more energy than we get back by breaking. Lise Meitner in 1938 discovered a
nucleus of the uranium isotope 23592U undergoes fission when struck by a neutron.
It is not the Impact of the neutron that has this effect but the 23592U nucleus absorbs
the neutron to become 23692U, and the new nucleus is unstable that it explodes into
two fragments.

Nuclear Fission

In nuclear fission, an absorbed neutron causes a heavy nucleus to split into two parts
emitting several neutrons and gamma rays in the process.
Nature of Fragments and Emission of Neutrons

The new nuclei that results from fission are called fission fragments. Usually fission
fragments are of unequal size because heavy nuclei have a greater neutron to proton
ratio than lighter ones, the fragments contain excess neutrons. To reduce this excess
two or three neutrons are emitted by the fragments as soon as they are formed, and
subsequent beta decays bring their neutron to proton ratios to stable values. A
typical fission reaction is -

235
95U + 10n  236
92U
*
 14054Xe + 9438Sr + 10n + 10n

A common pair of fragments from Uranium-235 fission is Xenon(Xe) and

Strontium(Sr) among which highly radioactive, the Xenon decays with a half-life of
14 seconds and finally produces the stable isotope Cerium(Ce)-140. Strontium(Sr)-94
decays with a half-life of 75 seconds, finally producing the stable isotope
Zirconium(Zr)-94. These fragments are not so dangerous as intermediate half-life
fragments such as Caesium(Cs)-137.

Most of these fission fragments are highly unstable (radioactive), and some of them
such as cesium-137 and strontium-90 are extremely dangerous when released to the
environment.
Chain Reaction In Nuclear Fission

Nuclear Fission leads to neutrons being given off, a self-sustaining sequence of

fissions is possible. The condition for such a Chain Reaction to occur in an assembly
of fissionable material is simple : at least one neutron produced during each fission
must, on the average, cause another fission. If too few neutrons cause fissions, the
reaction will slow down and stop; if precisely one neutron per fission causes another
fission, energy will be released at a constant rate. (which is the case In a nuclear
reactor); and if the frequency of fissions increases, the energy release will be so rapid
that an explosion will occur (which is the case in an atomic bomb).

These situations are respectively called subcritical, critical, and supercritical. If two
neutrons from each fission in an atomic bomb induce further fissions in 10-8 s, a chain
reaction starting with a single fission will give off 2 X 1013 Joule of energy in less than
10-6 s.

Sketch of a chain reaction. The reaction is self-sustaining if at least one neutron from each fission event on
the average induces another fission event. If more than one neutron per fission on the average Induces
another fission, the reaction is explosive.