Radioactive Chain reaction

Radioactive Chain reaction

Consider a neutron causing fission in a uranium nucleus producing three neutrons. The three neutrons in turn may cause fission in three uranium nuclei producing nine neutrons. These nine neutrons in turn may produce twenty seven neutrons and so on. A chain reaction is a self propagating process in which the number of neutrons goes on multiplying rapidly almost in a geometrical progression.

Two types of chain reactions are possible. In the uncontrolled chain reaction, the number of neutrons multiply indefinitely and the entire amount of energy is released within a fraction of a second. This type of chain reaction takes place in atom bombs.

In the controlled chain reaction the number of fission producing neutron is kept constant and is always equal to one. The reaction is sustained in a controlled manner (Fig). Controlled chain reaction is taking place in a nuclear reactor.

When a thermal neutron bombards U²³⁵ nucleus, it breaks into two fission fragments and three fast neutrons (Fig). One neutron may escape and one neutron may be captured by U²³⁸ which decays to Np²³⁹ and then to Pu²³⁹ One neutron is available for carrying out chain reaction. The chain reaction is possible, only when the loss of neutrons is less than the neutrons produced.

Critical size

Critical size of a system containing a fissile material is defined as the minimum size in which atleast one neutron is available for further fission reaction. The mass of the fissile material at the critical size is called critical mass. The chain reaction is not possible if the size is less than the critical size.