Wednesday, August 3, 2016

Final Stages of Fission Last 10 Times Longer Than Previously Calculated


The finding, "Final Stages of Fission Last 10 Times Longer Than Previously Calculated," has relevance for researchers studying nuclear fuel composition and nuclear forensics:
Jonathan Hines. July 26, 2016. Fundamental Fission Modeling Finds a Foothold. Oak Ridge National Laboratory, https://www.olcf.ornl.gov/2016/07/26/fundamental-fission-modeling-finds-a-foothold/

Additionally, the simulation suggested that the final stages of fission last about 10 times longer than previously calculated, a finding with wide ramifications for nuclear science and astrophysics….

“Our simulation shows the nucleus takes a longer route to scission, or split. It doesn’t simply break into two parts but oscillates in ways that take energy away from the relative motion of the emerging daughter nuclei,” Bulgac said. “It’s like hiking down a mountain. You can go straight down, or you can zigzag to the bottom. The second option takes much longer, but you end up at the same place.”

The results of this computational approach are an encouraging development for nuclear physics researchers who could benefit from an improved understanding of fission fragments’ excitation energies—the energy needed to boost a nucleus to a higher energy above its ground state. Currently, these properties are nearly impossible to glean from experiment. Better methods would benefit researchers who study nuclear fuel composition, nuclear forensics, and astrophysics, in which fission plays a role in producing the remnants of exploding stars.

I wonder if findings have relevance for understanding fission activity at Fukushima?

4 comments:

  1. Nuclear pollution and contamination are the number 1 public health crisis in Japan and the the United States now. Perhaps for the whole world. It is an extinction level concern. A chain reaction of nuclear power plants going off will probably finish off life on earth.

    Most of our idiot presidential candidates in the Unites States are pronuclear power. It shows how demented our politicians and power brokers have become. The general public is not getting any better either. http://www.counterpunch.org/2016/08/02/election-crash-course-2016-candidate-quotes-on-climate-and-energy/

    ReplyDelete
  2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWM8S9J_dNo

    ReplyDelete
  3. http://www.alternet.org/environment/koch-brothers-are-behind-plot-open-grand-canyon-watershed-toxic-uranium-mining

    ReplyDelete
  4. Cuomo is baili g out Indian point to the tune of 6.8billion. Its still dumping tritium in the river too.

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.