1.6 Fission Reaction
9
Scientists are trying to create H fusion in the laboratory but it has not been very
successful because one needs a temperature in the region of 10
8 K. It has been difficult
to maintain such a high temperature for a longer period. This is a blessing in disguise.
If scientists succeed in this fusion reaction, there would be a scarcity of water on the
earth, because the source of H is water and in a fusion reaction, the by-product is He
and other atoms and not water, as is the case if we burn H in the presence of oxygen.
Hence, if such reactors succeeded, then there will be a scarcity of water which is
the main material to sustain our lives on this planet. There are many speculations of
the type of reactions which can take place in a H fusion reaction; one of the most
accepted reactions as given here:
1 H 1 +
1 H 1 →
2 D 1 + β + μ
2 D 1 +
1 H 1 →
3 He 2
or
2 D 1 +
2 D 1 →
4 He 2 + γ
or
3 He 2 +
3 He 2 →
4 He 2 + 2
1 H 1
where
2 D 1 is the isotope of H known as Deuterium with one neutron and one proton
making mass equal to 2. Though the H fusion reaction has not been very successful
by our scientists, this reaction is the main source of the generation of power from
sunlight. It is now expected that H fusion is coming to near completion and the byproduct of H fusion, i.e., He is now undergoing fusion reaction in the Sun. Since
power produced by He fusion is more than that of H fusion, the Sun’s temperature
is increasing causing global warming.
1.7 Stability of Nucleon
We can get some useful information about the stability of naturally occurring nuclides
by plotting a graph between neutron and proton numbers (Fig. 1.2). It is observed
from this figure that the neutron–proton ratio for nuclides of a mass number less than
20 is approximately one and beyond this mass number, the ratio increases to almost
1.5. The ratio increases to counter the increase in repulsive forces between protons.
As the number of protons in the nucleus increases, repulsive forces between them
increase. This is compensated by a greater increase in the number of neutrons, and
the neutron/proton ratio increases to about 1.5 or so for heavy nuclides.
A survey of stable nucleus reveals that the number of stable nuclei is large for those
elements which possesses an even number of both neutrons and protons (162). There
are very few stable nuclides, which possess odd numbers of neutrons and protons
9
Scientists are trying to create H fusion in the laboratory but it has not been very
successful because one needs a temperature in the region of 10
8 K. It has been difficult
to maintain such a high temperature for a longer period. This is a blessing in disguise.
If scientists succeed in this fusion reaction, there would be a scarcity of water on the
earth, because the source of H is water and in a fusion reaction, the by-product is He
and other atoms and not water, as is the case if we burn H in the presence of oxygen.
Hence, if such reactors succeeded, then there will be a scarcity of water which is
the main material to sustain our lives on this planet. There are many speculations of
the type of reactions which can take place in a H fusion reaction; one of the most
accepted reactions as given here:
1 H 1 +
1 H 1 →
2 D 1 + β + μ
2 D 1 +
1 H 1 →
3 He 2
or
2 D 1 +
2 D 1 →
4 He 2 + γ
or
3 He 2 +
3 He 2 →
4 He 2 + 2
1 H 1
where
2 D 1 is the isotope of H known as Deuterium with one neutron and one proton
making mass equal to 2. Though the H fusion reaction has not been very successful
by our scientists, this reaction is the main source of the generation of power from
sunlight. It is now expected that H fusion is coming to near completion and the byproduct of H fusion, i.e., He is now undergoing fusion reaction in the Sun. Since
power produced by He fusion is more than that of H fusion, the Sun’s temperature
is increasing causing global warming.
1.7 Stability of Nucleon
We can get some useful information about the stability of naturally occurring nuclides
by plotting a graph between neutron and proton numbers (Fig. 1.2). It is observed
from this figure that the neutron–proton ratio for nuclides of a mass number less than
20 is approximately one and beyond this mass number, the ratio increases to almost
1.5. The ratio increases to counter the increase in repulsive forces between protons.
As the number of protons in the nucleus increases, repulsive forces between them
increase. This is compensated by a greater increase in the number of neutrons, and
the neutron/proton ratio increases to about 1.5 or so for heavy nuclides.
A survey of stable nucleus reveals that the number of stable nuclei is large for those
elements which possesses an even number of both neutrons and protons (162). There
are very few stable nuclides, which possess odd numbers of neutrons and protons