Nuclear Energy

The nuclear fusion in the sun smashes hydrogen atoms together. The atoms do not combine easily and the fusion (combining of two atoms) can only happen under tremendous pressures by the weight of the material (the gravitational pressures of the star due to its large mass).

Here are the steps.

1. Two pairs of hydrogen protons to form 2 deuterons (a hydrogen isotope)

2. Each deuteron fuses with an additional proton of hydrogen to form helium-3

3. Two helium-3 nuclei fuse to create beryllium-6, but this is unstable and disintegrates immediately into two protons and a helium-4

4. the two protons, together with other hydrogen protons, can then form 2 deuterons and the process starts again.

Whenever the fusion takes place, mass is "destroyed" as the result is energy which is released through radiation.

The above method is the primary nuclear reaction in our sun. There is also an alternate method which larger stars use called the CNO cycle, but it requires a much larger mass than our sun (about 50% larger) to initiate.

absorb and slow down neutrons, such as control rods made of materials like boron or cadmium. By inserting these control rods into the reactor core, the rate of the fission chain reaction can be regulated, allowing for safe and controlled energy production.

The first two elements formed during hydrogen fusion are deuterium (a hydrogen isotope with one proton and one neutron) and helium-3 (a helium isotope with two protons and one neutron). This process occurs in the core of stars like our Sun.

No, gamma rays are not a cure for every disease. While gamma rays can be used in certain medical treatments, they are typically not a first-line or widespread therapy for most diseases. Treatment options depend on the specific disease and should be determined through consultation with healthcare professionals.

To split a uranium nucleus in nuclear fission, you typically use a neutron to initiate the reaction. When a neutron collides with a uranium nucleus, it can cause the nucleus to split into two smaller nuclei, along with releasing additional neutrons and a large amount of energy.

The mass of the star and the related temperature of the stellar core determine the thermonuclear process type of the star. The stars of the solar mass produce energy from Hydrogen in the proton-proton cycle (two and three proton nuclei appear in intermediate stages of the fusion, end product is Helium); stars twice (or more) as heavy run the HNC cycle (Although Helium is here still the end product, Nitrogen and Carbon appear in intermediate fusion stages, too). Once the Hydrogen is used up, gravity collapse makes the temperatures rise until the next , heavier element fusion cycle is activated.

As the temperature rises, other numerous fusion cycles can produce all existing elements. The heaviest ones are created in the extraordinary high temperatures of the supernovae-explosions

U-235 can fission by absorbing fast or slow neutrons, but it has a much larger cross section for slow ones, that is it absorbs slow neutrons much more readily than fast ones. This enables moderated reactors to operate with low enriched (5% or less) or even natural uranium, whilst fast reactors must have much more highly enriched uranium, ie with more U-235. The ultimate is the nuclear bomb, where almost pure U-235 will fission entirely with fast neutrons, if enough of it is suddenly put together.

Nuclear power plants use a process called nuclear fission to convert energy from uranium. In this process, uranium atoms split, releasing a large amount of energy in the form of heat. This heat is then used to produce steam that drives turbines connected to generators, which ultimately produces electricity.

Carbon releases energy through fusion in stars, where lighter elements combine to form heavier elements. In fission, carbon can release energy when split into smaller fragments. However, natural carbon fission is not a common process and is predominantly observed in laboratories.

Actually room temperature nuclear fusion has been verified by reputable scientists, but it only works with muonic-hydrogen. This is hydrogen with its electron replaced by a muon, a particle identical to the electron except that it weighs 200 times as much. Because of the extra mass the muon orbits the proton much closer than the electron does. This allows muonic-hydrogen nuclei to collide and fuse at room temperature.

However it takes far more energy to make the muons and replace them for the electrons than can be obtained from the fusion.

The main challenges of using nuclear fusion for electricity generation include controlling the high temperatures and pressures required for fusion reactions, sustaining the reaction over long periods, and developing materials that can withstand the intense radiation produced. Research is ongoing to overcome these challenges and develop practical fusion reactors for commercial electricity production.

Nuclear reactions such as fusion and fission convert mass into energy, following Einstein's famous equation E=mc^2. In fusion, lighter atomic nuclei combine to form heavier ones, releasing energy, while in fission, heavy atomic nuclei split into lighter ones, also releasing energy.

In nuclear fusion, the mass of the atomic nuclei is converted into energy according to Einstein's famous equation E=mc^2. This means that a small amount of mass is converted directly into a large amount of energy during the fusion process.

Nuclear fusion is the process by which lighter atoms combine to form heavier ones, releasing a large amount of energy. This process occurs in the cores of stars, where elements are formed through the fusion of hydrogen into helium and subsequently into heavier elements. The fusion reactions in stars are responsible for creating most of the elements found in the universe through nucleosynthesis.

No, fission can occur with other isotopes as well, such as plutonium and thorium. Uranium-235 and plutonium-239 are the most commonly used isotopes in nuclear fission reactions due to their ability to sustain a chain reaction.

The raw material for nuclear fission is typically a heavy radioactive element, such as uranium-235 or plutonium-239. These materials are bombarded by neutrons to induce a fission reaction, releasing energy in the form of heat and additional neutrons.

The sun is an example of fusion, specifically nuclear fusion. In its core, the sun fuses hydrogen atoms to form helium, releasing a tremendous amount of energy in the process. This is different from fission, which involves the splitting of atoms, or chemical reactions, which involve the rearrangement of electrons between atoms.

A nuclear fusion reactor works by creating high temperatures and pressures to fuse atomic nuclei together, releasing vast amounts of energy in the process. The reaction itself happens very quickly, with fusion reactions occurring on the order of microseconds. However, sustaining and controlling the reaction to generate continuous energy requires sophisticated equipment and technology.

Temperature control in a nuclear reactor is crucial to prevent overheating, which can lead to a meltdown and release of radioactive materials. Maintaining the right temperature ensures the reactor operates safely and efficiently. Control systems are in place to regulate temperature by adjusting the rate of fission reactions and cooling mechanisms.

The term nuclear reaction is a general one, and it refers to any change in atomic nuclei. There are a lot of different ones (nuclear changes) that qualify, so let's look at some.

A nuclear reaction could be a nuclear decay event where a single atomic nucleus undergoes a change. Alpha decay, beta decay, spontaneous fission and even gamma emission are nuclear reactions. Additionally, a nuclear reaction could refer to the interaction of a subatomic particle and an atomic nucleus, like neutron capture in nuclear chain reactions. Further, nuclear fusion, which is constantly going on in our sun, is also considered a nuclear reaction because lighter atomic nuclei are fused together to make heavier ones.

As there are a number of "flavors" of nuclear reactions, we leave a reader a variety of options to choose from when we apply this term. It may help to be more specific, depending on the way this term is used.

In the sun and other stars it occurs by protons reacting together to produce helium nuclei. See link below. On Earth experimenters are trying to fuse nuclei of deuterium and tritium as the best combination for success, but only very short (less than 1 second) bursts have so far been achieved.

There are two: Nuclear Fission and Nuclear Fusion. Fission is when a neutron is fired at an element with a high atomic number (usually Uranium) which then splits, releasing energy and more neutrons. this produces a chain reaction, which continues until all nuclei have been split. Fusion occurs in stars and a few experimental reactors, and happens when two forms of Hydrogen nuclei (Deuterium and Tritium) fuse into an unstable nucleus, which in turn splits again into Helium and a spare neutron. Fission can start at any temperature, but Fusion only when Hydrogen is in a plasma state.

Since the continued chain reaction of a nuclear fission reactor depends upon at least one neutron from each fission being absorbed by another fissionable nucleus, the reaction can be controlled by using control rods of material which absorbs neutrons. Cadmium and boron are strong neutron absorbers and are the most common materials used in control rods. A typical neutron absorption reaction in boron is In the operation of a nuclear reactor, fuel assemblies are put into place and then the control rods are slowly lifted until a chain reaction can just be sustained. As the reaction proceeds, the number of uranium-235 nuclei decreases and fission by- products which absorb neutrons build up. To keep the chain reaction going, the control rods must be withdrawn further. At some point, the chain reaction cannot be maintained and the fuel must be replenished

Nuclear fission takes place around the world because it is used in nuclear power plants to generate electricity. The splitting of atoms in fission reactions releases energy in the form of heat, which is used to produce electricity through steam turbines. This method provides a reliable and low-carbon source of power for many countries.

In order to be nuclear fuel in an conventional nuclear plant, the isotopes have to be capable of fission and have a critical mass. Of the potential fuels found in nature, only 235U has this capacity, and there is not enough of it in uranium ore to provide for fuel of a simple reactor without enrichment.

The half lives of two uranium isotopes most commonly found in nature are roughly 703,800,000, for 235U, which is 0.720% of what is found, and 4,468,900,000 years for 238U, which is 99.274%. The percentage of 235U is increased to about 4% or 5% for fuel in power plants. This means that even though uranium can have critical mass, it is not especially dangerously radioactive.

Critical mass is achievable because the uranium can produce a chain reaction in which the fission of one atom causes the fission of one or more other atoms. This happens because uranium occasionally undergo spontaneous fission instead of its normal alpha decay, producing neutrons in the process, and the neutrons can cause other atoms to undergo fission. If there is a sufficiently abundant supply of atoms capable of fission, the fission event produces on average more than one other fission event. As this continues, the speed of fission increases and a chain reaction follows, going on until the fuel runs out.

While the original uranium is not especially radioactive, the products of fission are. They cannot support fission, because they do not have sufficient mass, but their half lives are mostly very, very short. Each daughter atom of fission has a high probability of multiple decays during the first seconds of its existence. The isotopes with half lives of seconds or less are mostly gone by the time the fuel rod is removed from the reactor, but they are followed by isotopes with half lives ranging from days to years.

The decay of short term fission products happens so rapidly that even in the absence of fission, the rods need special cooling for several years. As the decay continues, the half lives of the remaining isotopes get longer, until the atoms of isotopes with short half lives are mostly gone, at which point the rods can be removed to longer term storage.

Medium term fission products have half lives of 10 to 90 years, making them very radioactive. Nuclear waste needs centuries of storage just because of these. And long term fission fragments have half lives that range from 211 to 80,000,000 years.

It has been calculated that the time it takes for spent fuel to decay to the level of radioactivity of naturally occurring uranium ore is about 6,000,000 years.