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Subcritical mass refers to an amount of fissile material that is not enough to sustain a nuclear chain reaction. This means the material does not reach a critical mass where nuclear fission reactions can continue in a self-sustaining manner. In order for a sustained chain reaction to occur, the material must exceed the critical mass threshold.
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What is the quantity of fissionable material called that CANNOT sustain a nuclear reaction?
Subcritical mass is the quantity of fissionable material that cannot sustain a nuclear reaction. When the amount of fissionable material is below the critical mass required to sustain a chain reaction, it is considered subcritical.
Is it possible for subcritical flow to undergo a hydraulic jump?
No, hydraulic jumps occur in supercritical flow when the flow transitions from high velocity to low velocity. Subcritical flow does not have the necessary conditions for a hydraulic jump to form.
What is sub critical power plant?
A subcritical power plant is a type of thermal power plant that operates below the critical point of water (374°C and 22.1 MPa). These plants are less efficient compared to supercritical power plants because they operate at lower temperatures and pressures, leading to lower power generation efficiency. Subcritical power plants are common in older power generation facilities.
What is meant by supercritical and how does it relate to making a nuclear bomb?
A subcritical mass cannot sustain a nuclear chain reaction, it dies exponentiallyA critical mass can sustain a nuclear chain reaction, but it remains constant neither increasing nor decreasingA supercritical mass not only sustains a nuclear chain reaction but it increases exponentially until the mass explodesA nuclear fission bomb must become supercritical at some time in order to explode.
How does an atomic bomb explode?
The fissile fuel is packaged in the bomb as a subcritical mass.The fusing system detects the preset firing condition.A firing pulse is sent from the fusing system to the rapid assembly system.The rapid assembly system uses explosives to repackage the fissile fuel as a supercritical mass.A neutron source fires through the supercritical mass, initiating the chain reaction.The chain reaction increases exponentially until the resulting explosion disassembles the fissile fuel back to a subcritical mass.
What is the quantity of fissionable material called that CANNOT sustain a nuclear reaction?
Subcritical mass is the quantity of fissionable material that cannot sustain a nuclear reaction. When the amount of fissionable material is below the critical mass required to sustain a chain reaction, it is considered subcritical.
Is it possible for subcritical flow to undergo a hydraulic jump?
No, hydraulic jumps occur in supercritical flow when the flow transitions from high velocity to low velocity. Subcritical flow does not have the necessary conditions for a hydraulic jump to form.
Definition of subcritical fluid?
A subcritical fluid is a substance that is maintained at a temperature and pressure below its critical point, where it exhibits properties of both a gas and a liquid. In this state, the substance is dense like a liquid but can flow like a gas. Subcritical fluids are often used in various industrial processes due to their unique properties.
What is used as an explosive ingredient in nuclear weapons?
There are 3 types of explosives used in nuclear weapons:conventional explosives, to rapidly assemble a subcritical mass into a supercritical mass of fissile material; many different explosives can and have been used.fissile material; highly enriched Uranium-235 and/or Plutonium-239.fusion fuel; Deuterium, Tritium, and/or Lithium Deuteride.
What happens when the mass of fissile material used in nuclear weapons is subcritical?
Nothing, it has to become supercritical for a nuclear detonation to happen. Most bombs perform this transition from subcritical state to supercritical state by an implosion driven by conventional explosive lenses. Once supercritical a neutron source is fired through the fissile material to start the reaction leading to the nuclear detonation.There is a special type of test detonation called a hydronuclear test where the amount of fissile material remains subcritical throughout the implosion. When the neutron source fires the reaction simply multiplies the number of neutrons by a factor then dies out. No nuclear detonation happens. Measurements of this neutron flux can tell about the quality of the implosion, safety, etc. But as there is no nuclear yield, several of the nuclear test ban treaties allowed these hydronuclear tests while banning tests with nuclear yields.
How do you create a sentence using the word dispersal?
The runaway reactor at Chernobyl went subcritical by prompt dispersal.
What is the difference in nuclear power plants and a nuclear bomb.?
A nuclear power plant is a controlled nuclear pile. Both slow and fast reactors contain radioactive material (uranium or plutonium), and are kept from going supercritical due to moderator (cadmium control rods) and coolant such as sodium or, most commonly, water. Thus, the rate of nuclear reaction can be controlled. However, in a nuclear bomb, the goal is (super)criticality. Two subcritical masses are brought together to form a critical/supercritical mass, or a subcritical mass is brought to criticality by implosion, increasing the density, and no control of the reaction is provided. In this way, a nuclear bomb is allowed to reach critical mass and result in runaway nuclear reaction very quickly...or order to result in nuclear detonation.
What is sub critical power plant?
A subcritical power plant is a type of thermal power plant that operates below the critical point of water (374°C and 22.1 MPa). These plants are less efficient compared to supercritical power plants because they operate at lower temperatures and pressures, leading to lower power generation efficiency. Subcritical power plants are common in older power generation facilities.
What is meant by supercritical and how does it relate to making a nuclear bomb?
A subcritical mass cannot sustain a nuclear chain reaction, it dies exponentiallyA critical mass can sustain a nuclear chain reaction, but it remains constant neither increasing nor decreasingA supercritical mass not only sustains a nuclear chain reaction but it increases exponentially until the mass explodesA nuclear fission bomb must become supercritical at some time in order to explode.
What has the author P A Ombrellaro written?
P. A. Ombrellaro has written: 'Subcritical reactivity monitoring' -- subject(s): Neutron sources, Alpha rays, Reactivity, Nuclear reactors
How do you get nuclear weapons atomic bombs from nuclear fission?
fission is the nuclear reaction that makes both bombs and reactors possible.if a mass of fissile material is subcritical, its neutron multiplication factor is less than 1 and any chain reaction started in it will die out with only a small release of heat and radiation.if a mass of fissile material is exactly critical, its neutron multiplication factor is exactly 1 and a chain reaction started in it will be sustained at a constant rate. this can be used as a nuclear reactor.if a mass of fissile material is supercritical, its neutron multiplication factor is greater than 1 and a chain reaction started in it will accelerate out of control until it either melts (a fizzle) or explodes (a detonation). this can be used as a bomb.to make a nuclear bomb you also need 2 other things:a rapid assembly system using chemical explosives to convert a subcritical mass to a supercritical mass fast enough to prevent a fizzle caused by either stray neutrons or spontaneous fission.a neutron source to fire neutrons into the resulting supercritical mass at the optimal time to get an explosion of the desired yield. advancing or retarding the firing of the neutron source will reduce yield from the maximum possible with a given design.
What going to happen if the nuclear power plant melts down?
A meltdown is both good and bad:Good reactor design uses the meltdown to disassemble the fuel into a subcritical mass, causing the reactor to automatically shutdown.Bad reactor design can allow the fuel to enter places it should not go, possibly causing steam explosions, contamination outside the reactor containment, etc.
