Sub Critical
To make a nuclear bomb, you need the fissionable material such as a Plutonium239 isotope, an explosive to start the nuclear chain reaction, a detonator, and a pusher.
Actually, a nuclear chain reaction occurs when a fissionable material, such as uranium-235 or plutonium-239, undergoes a nuclear reaction that releases additional neutrons. These newly released neutrons can then collide with other fissionable nuclei, continuing the chain reaction and releasing a significant amount of energy in the process.
Nuclear fission reactions typically occur in the core of a nuclear reactor. This is where the fissionable material, such as uranium-235, is bombarded with neutrons, causing the nuclei to split and release more neutrons and energy in a chain reaction.
subcritical - a mass or arrangement of fissionable or fissile material unable to sustain a neutron chain reaction. It can provide a fixed amount of neutron multiplication from a neutron source, but after removal of the neutron source the chain reaction rate drops exponentially.critical - a mass or arrangement of fissionable or fissile material capable of sustaining a constant neutron chain reaction. No increase or decrease. (Nuclear reactors operate at critical)supercritical - a mass or arrangement of fissionable or fissile material capable of not only sustaining a neutron chain reaction, but once initiated the chain reaction rate rises exponentially. (Nuclear fission bombs explode when made supercritical)A nuclear fission bomb must have 2 of these states: subcritical (so that it can't explode until desired) and supercritical (so that it explodes with an effective yield). This requires a rapid "assembly" system using conventional explosives to rearrange the fissile material from subcritical to supercritical in about 1ms. A neutron source starts the chain reaction and the explosion completes in about 1 microsecond.
minimum amount
Fissionable material that cannot sustain a nuclear reaction on its own is called fissile material. Examples include uranium-238 and thorium-232. These materials can undergo fission when bombarded with neutrons but require additional enrichment or a moderator to sustain a chain reaction.
To make a nuclear bomb, you need the fissionable material such as a Plutonium239 isotope, an explosive to start the nuclear chain reaction, a detonator, and a pusher.
Actually, a nuclear chain reaction occurs when a fissionable material, such as uranium-235 or plutonium-239, undergoes a nuclear reaction that releases additional neutrons. These newly released neutrons can then collide with other fissionable nuclei, continuing the chain reaction and releasing a significant amount of energy in the process.
Nuclear fission reactions typically occur in the core of a nuclear reactor. This is where the fissionable material, such as uranium-235, is bombarded with neutrons, causing the nuclei to split and release more neutrons and energy in a chain reaction.
Fissile material refers to substances that can sustain a nuclear chain reaction upon absorbing a slow neutron, such as uranium-235 and plutonium-239. In contrast, fissionable material includes any substance capable of undergoing fission, which can occur with either slow or fast neutrons; this category encompasses both fissile materials and those that require fast neutrons to undergo fission, like uranium-238. Thus, all fissile materials are fissionable, but not all fissionable materials are fissile.
The amount of fissionable material required to sustain a nuclear reaction at a constant rate is determined by the material's critical mass. The critical mass is the minimum amount of fissionable material needed to sustain a chain reaction, and it varies depending on the material and the reactor design. By controlling factors such as neutron moderation and absorption, reactor operators can adjust the critical mass to maintain a steady reaction rate.
Uranium-235 is the most commonly used fissionable material in nuclear reactors. It readily undergoes fission when bombarded by neutrons, releasing energy in the process.
Yes, this isotope is very fissionable and is used in nuclear reactors and nuclear weapons.
The term is "critical mass." It refers to the minimum amount of fissionable material, such as uranium or plutonium, required to sustain a chain reaction in a nuclear reactor or bomb.
Nuclear plants use fissionable material to generate heat instead of burning fossil fuel for the same purpose. The fissionable fuel is in the core of a nuclear reactor, and this core and the associated elements of the nuclear plant allow us to tap nuclear energy via nuclear fission.
The bomb dropped on Nagasaki, Japan, on August 9, 1945, was called "Fat Man," and it utilized plutonium-239 as its fissionable material. Plutonium-239 is a synthetic isotope produced in nuclear reactors from uranium-238. The design of the bomb was an implosion-type nuclear weapon that relied on compressing the plutonium to achieve a critical mass and initiate a fission chain reaction.
Essentially, a core of fissionable material is impacted to such a degree that it will begin to undergo fission because of loose neutrons impacting the nuclei of the fissionable material. There are two methods, the first is by firing a bullet of fissionable material into a larger mass, and the second is by using conventional explosives to simultaneously concuss the material on all sides.