An Idea On Basics Of Nuclear Fission

Before digging deep into the concept of nuclear fission, it is essential to know about the nuclear reaction. The reaction involving the change in the characteristics of an atomic nucleus induced by bombarding with the energetic particle is termed a nuclear reaction. 

Read further to learn about nuclear fission, nuclear energy, and nuclear reactors.

What is referred to as nuclear fission?

Nuclear fission is referred to as the process in which the nucleus of an atom is subdivided into two smaller nuclei. Gamma photons are oftentimes produced through the nuclear fission reaction. This particular process is accompanied by the release of a large amount of energy.

In nuclear fission, the process of subdivision of atoms into two lighter nuclei might take place spontaneously in some cases or can also be induced by the excitation of the nucleus with a different type of particles. During the nuclear fission process, a large amount of energy is released, several neutrons are emitted, and the formation of radioactive products takes place.

Fundamentals of the Fission Process: Induced Fission and Spontaneous Fission

Here mentioned are the fundamentals of the nuclear fission process:

Induced Fission

Induced fission is also referred to as ‘a forced decay’. Fission can be induced by ejecting the slow-moving neutrons towards a nucleus of heavy radioactive material like plutonium-239 or uranium-235. This can be done using gamma-ray excitation or excitation of the nucleus by the capture of a neutron or proton. Both plutonium and uranium used for the nuclear-induced fission reaction are called fissile. It is the disintegration of the fissile materials which produce two or more elements or neutrons with a high velocity named fission products. The energy released during the induced fission process is in two forms kinetic energy and high energy photons (gamma rays). Kinetic energy is given to the neutrons produced and the product released during the induced fission process. 

The high-energy photons and the products as they slow down are converted into the residual energy that takes place, and then the same energy is used to produce work.

Spontaneous Fission

Spontaneous fission takes place when a heavy atomic nucleus disintegrates into two nuclei without being forced to do so by absorbing an extra neutron. During this particular process, the nucleus of an atom is split into two lighter nuclei having the same mass and residual energy as photons. 

The reason why spontaneous fission takes place naturally in the elements of heavy mass is that these elements are naturally unstable. For instance, in the fission reaction of Uranium-235, the atom splits without requiring capturing a neutron, and further, it is divided into thorium and helium nucleus, an alpha particle.

It is the half-life of the radioactive element with which the rate of decay in these certain events is related. The half-life of the radioactive element is referred to the average time taken by a certain amount of the radioactive material to decay to half of its initial mass. 

Products formed by the nuclear fission process

Now that the velocities of the particles and energies are not the same, the products released by the nuclear fission process are dependent on each reaction. However, the products that are formed by the nuclear fission process will split with almost identical mass, and also, the products formed will be heavy elements and radioactive. 

It has been seen that in some cases, the nuclear reaction fission might also produce two smaller products- radiation and neutrons along with alpha particles of tritium. It is to be noted that the products formed will further experience a spontaneous disintegration process leading to the release of more particles and energy. In terms of nuclear reactors, the products released will be referred to as nuclear waste. 

What is meant by nuclear energy?

All matter in the world is made of tiny atoms, and all atoms are equipped with the nucleus at their core, where almost the entire mass of the atom is concentrated. In specific situations or circumstances, the nucleus of an atom might experience certain changes. Nuclear fusion and nuclear fission are two reactions that result in either combining or splitting the atomic nucleus. During such a process, a tremendous amount of energy is released, which is referred to as nuclear energy. 

What is meant by a nuclear reactor?

When talking about the nuclear reactor, it is known as an atomic pile which is basically a dive used to initiate and control a fission nuclear chain reaction. The main application of nuclear reactor is that it is used in nuclear power plants to generate electricity and in marine nuclear propulsion. 

Conclusion

Nuclear fission is the process in which one larger atomic nucleus is disintegrated into two lighter nuclei having almost identical mass. It is the nuclear fission process that is used in nuclear reactors for generating electrical energy. It is one of the leading technologies which is being used all over the world to produce energy. To learn about the concept of nuclear fission in detail, it is recommended to go through the above-mentioned article.