I have been searching but I don't know if it is the gamma rays released during the nuclear fission or if it comes from another heat source during fission if not what?
2007-09-28 14:14:42 · 3 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
The nuclear fission reaction, splitting of the nucleus, is what causes the heat to be generated, not gamma rays. The nucleus splits into 2 smaller atoms when struck by a neutron, releasing neutrons to carry on a chain reaction and much heat energy that is absorbed by water and a heat exchanger.
2007-09-28 14:26:43 · answer #1 · answered by science teacher 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Its not just gamma rays that produces the heat. In a nuclear fission reaction a neutron collides with an atom and the atom splits forming two atoms of different elements and also releases a few neutrons. The mass of the two new atoms and the released neutrons is less than the mass of the original atom. This very small differance in mass has been converted into energy in the form of gamma rays and kinetic energy and it is this that heats the steam. The link below explains it all very technically
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_fission
2007-09-28 21:36:11 · answer #2 · answered by Derek A 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
SEE THE FOLLOWING.http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1978VDIZ..120..641F
2007-10-02 21:19:33 · answer #3 · answered by Loren S 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋