0
In short, neutron capture is a nuclear reaction wherein an atomic nucleus captures one (or perhaps more) neutrons. The nucleus is then one nucleon heavier (or perhaps more, if more neutrons are absorbed). The new nucleus may be subject to further transformations, depending on what was formed in the capture process.
Many different atomic nuclei can capture a neutron under the right conditions. We often think of uranium or plutonium (nuclear fuels) as atoms that undergo neutron capture. It is, after all, neutron capture that destabilizes the nucleus and can cause nuclear fission. This is the process that we set up when we build a nuclear reactor or a nuclear weapon.
We can expose any number of different materials to the neutron flux in operating nuclear reactor. Atoms in the material will undergo neutron capture, depending on the conditions in the ractor, and (primarily) what the material is. In the case of cobalt, we will lower a measured amount of the metal in a suitable form into the reactor via a port. After a desired amount of time, the slug of cobalt, which was cobalt-59, is withdrawn. We now have a slug that has a fair percentage of cobalt-60 in it, and cobalt-60 is radioactive. The isotope emits gamma rays, and the slug is put in a casket of shielding material and can be transported for industrial use. (It might be used to X-ray welds in piping at a remote location, or sterilize band aids or other medical items at the end of a manufacturing process.)
Neutron capture is a process in which a nucleus absorbs a neutron to form a heavier nucleus. This process can lead to the formation of new isotopes or can make existing isotopes unstable, leading to radioactive decay. Neutron capture is important in nuclear reactions and plays a key role in nucleosynthesis processes in stars.
Add your answer:
Earn +20 pts
How do you calculate the energy output of a thorium subcritical reactor when you know the neutron flux input?
To calculate the energy output of a thorium subcritical reactor when you know the neutron flux input, you would multiply the neutron flux by the energy produced per neutron capture in the thorium fuel. This can be determined based on the specific design and characteristics of the reactor. By knowing the neutron flux input and the energy produced per neutron capture, you can estimate the energy output of the reactor.
What is radiation particle used in bombardment of nitrogen-14?
The radiation particle used in the bombardment of nitrogen-14 is a neutron. When a neutron collides with a nitrogen-14 nucleus, it can create carbon-14 through a process called neutron capture.
Is uranium 238 a slow or fast neutron absorber?
Uranium 238 is considered a slow neutron absorber because it does not readily absorb fast neutrons. It can capture slow neutrons and transform into plutonium 239 through a nuclear reaction called neutron capture.
Neutron capture produces what kind of elements in a star?
Neutron capture in a star can produce heavier elements, such as gold, platinum, and uranium, through the process of nucleosynthesis. This occurs when neutrons are absorbed by atomic nuclei, leading to the formation of new, heavier elements.
What is positron capture?
Positron capture is a nuclear reaction in which a positron (antielectron) is absorbed by an atomic nucleus, resulting in the conversion of a proton into a neutron with the emission of a neutrino. This process occurs in certain radioactive isotopes where the ratio of protons to neutrons is not stable, leading to the emission of a positron to restore stability.
What is a proton in the nucleus converted into what during electron capture?
During electron capture, a proton in the nucleus is converted into a neutron. This process occurs when an electron combines with a proton in the nucleus, resulting in the emission of a neutrino.
What the process by which an atom bombarded by a neutron becomes another isotope of the same element?
When an atom is bombarded by a neutron, it may absorb the neutron and become unstable. This can lead to the nucleus undergoing a process called neutron capture, forming a new isotope of the same element through nuclear transmutation. The new isotope may be radioactive and undergo radioactive decay to achieve stability.
In a nuclear fission reaction a freely moving neutron?
In a nuclear fission reaction, a freely moving neutron undergoes neutron capture and initiates the nuclear fission of a fuel atom.
How do you calculate the energy output of a thorium subcritical reactor when you know the neutron flux input?
To calculate the energy output of a thorium subcritical reactor when you know the neutron flux input, you would multiply the neutron flux by the energy produced per neutron capture in the thorium fuel. This can be determined based on the specific design and characteristics of the reactor. By knowing the neutron flux input and the energy produced per neutron capture, you can estimate the energy output of the reactor.
What Is geological electron capture?
Electron capture occurs when an electron from the innermost orbital of an atom is captured by a nucleus, which leads to the conversion of a proton into a neutron.
What is radiation particle used in bombardment of nitrogen-14?
The radiation particle used in the bombardment of nitrogen-14 is a neutron. When a neutron collides with a nitrogen-14 nucleus, it can create carbon-14 through a process called neutron capture.
Is uranium 238 a slow or fast neutron absorber?
Uranium 238 is considered a slow neutron absorber because it does not readily absorb fast neutrons. It can capture slow neutrons and transform into plutonium 239 through a nuclear reaction called neutron capture.
Why U 235 is fissioned by thermal neutron while U 238 by a fast neutron?
It's to do with the capture cross-section of the nucleus. It just happens that the U-235 nucleus has a much larger cross-section for neutron capture when the neutrons are slow, and that the subsequent nucleus is unstable and splits into two parts. With U-238, it does not undergo fission at all, it just absorbs the fast neutron and transmutes to Pu-239. As to the fundamental reason for this, it is in the complex nuclear physics field of study
What does xenon 135 decay into?
Xenon-135 decay to caesium-135 by beta emission.
What heappens to an atom that experiences radioactive decay?
Electron capture is the absorption of an electron by an atomic nucleus if that nucleus is neutron poor. An electron is captured, usually from an inner electron shell of that atom, and it will convert a proton in the nucleus into a neutron. We know that a neutron is converted into a proton and an electron in neutron decay, so it might be looked at as something of an opposite nuclear reaction where a proton and an electron combine to form a neutron.
What is the daughter nucleus produced when 195 Au undergoes electron capture?
When 195Au undergoes electron capture, a proton in the nucleus is converted into a neutron. This results in the production of 195Pt as the daughter nucleus.
What are the control rods in nuclear reactors made of?
Control rods are made of high neutron capture materials (e.g, Boron, Cadmium, and Gadolinium)
