MSc.

Nguyn Vn Qun

Nuclear Reactions

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Learning Objectives
1

History Recap (Tm lc lch s)

Understand the different length scales of nuclear physics (Nm

c cc thang n v trong vt l ht nhn).

Know the nomenclature for isotopes and nuclear reactions (Bit

cc thut ng v cc ng v v phn ng ht nhn).

4
5

Know the different types of neutron nuclear collisions and their

relationship to each other (Bit cc kiu tng tc ca neutron v
mi quan h gia chng).
Basic principles of nuclear reactor (Cc nguyn l c bn ca l
phn ng).

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Learning Objectives
6

Neutron sources (Ngun neutron)

Basic principles of nuclear reaction (Cc nguyn l c bn ca

phn ng ht nhn).

Binding energy curve (ng cong nng lng lin kt).

Liquid drop model (M hnh mu git cht lng).

10

Fission reaction (Phn ng phn hch).

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Learning Objectives

11

Ordinary differential equation review (Nhc li v phng trnh vi

phn thng).

12

Radioactive decay (Phn r phng x).

13

Decay chain (Chui phn r phng x).

14

Chart of nuclide (ng phn b cc ht nhn).

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History recap

1789

1932

James Chadwick
Uranium was
discovered the
discovered in
1789 by Martin neutron.
Klaproth, a
German chemist,
and named after
the planet
Uranus.

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1938

Nuclear fission
discovered by
the German
chemists Otto
Hahn.

1951

Experimental
Breeder Reactor
I (EBD I) is the
world's first
electricitygenerating
nuclear power
plant.

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Why nuclear?
The
The same
same value
value (cng
(cng mt
mt gi
gi tr)
tr)

Generation energy
(Nng lng sinh ra)

0.7 g
Uranium

3.5 barrels
oil

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17,000 m3
gas

1,780 tons
coal

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Why nuclear?
Political Resistance

Nuclear waste disposal issues

What is the biggest?

44%
16%
Others

Barrier to constructing
nuclear power plant in US

15%

2008 survey of energy professionals

15%

Fear of nuclear
accident

10%

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Cost of NPP construction

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Basic principles of nuclear reactor

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Simple device (Thit b n gin)

Fission fuel realeases energy in the core (Nhin liu
phn hch gii phng nng lng trong li).
Heat is transported away by a coolant which couples the
heat source to a rankine steam cycle (Nhit c truyn i
bng mt b lm mt gm c 2 ngun nhit theo chu trnh hi
rankine).
Very similar to a coal plant, with the exception of the
combustion process (Rt ging vi nh my s dng than,
khc qu trnh t chy nhin liu).
Main complication arises from the spent fuel, a mix of
over 300 fission products (Rc ri chnh xut hin l do
nhin liu chy, y l hn hp bao gm hn 300 sn
phm phn hch).
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Basic principles of nuclear reactor

Public domain image from wikipedia

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Basic principles of nuclear reactor

Power plant often
discharge their
circulating water
directly back to
the ocean.
Strict environmental
prottectition
regullatitions
Temperature
increases by 5-10
Farenheits

Image by MIT
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Basic principles of nuclear reactor

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Electric
Main Generator
Turbine
Cooling
Tower

Main
Condenser

Image by MIT

Circulating
Water Pump

If far from a water source, cooling towers are used to

transfer the heat to air.
Water vapor is visible at the contact of the warm wet air inside
the tower with the cool dry air outside
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Reactor concepts (Cc khi nim ca l phn ng)

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Fuel (Nhin liu)

Coolant (Cht lm
mt)

Moderator (Cht
lm chm)

- Uranium (Urani)
- Plutonium (plutoni)
- Thorium (Thori)

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- Light water (nc nh)

- Heavy water (nc nng)
- Sodium (Na)
- Molten salt (mui nng
chy)
- Helium(He)
- CO2
- Lead-Bismuth (Pb-Bi)
-

- Light water (nc nh)

- Heavy water (nc nng)
- Graphite (than ch)
- Be

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Shield Wall (Thnh tng che chn)

Reactor Vessel Wall (Thnh thng l)

Moderator (water)

Control Rod (Thanh iu khin)

Neutrons in a reactor (Neutron trong l phn ng)

Fuel Rods (Cc thanh nhin liu)

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Macroscopic to microscopic world

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Cutaway of PWR pressure vessel and

internals
Fission chain reaction

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Nomenclature-Isotopes (Thut ng-ng v)

A is atomic mass
(A l khi lng nguyn t)

Z is the atomic number

(Z l s th t nguyn t)

A
Z

N=A-Z is number
of neutrons
(N l s neutron)

235
92

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Nuclei with the same Z

and different A are called
isotopes (Cc ht nhn c
cng Z v khc A c gi
l cc ng v)
238
92

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Nuclear stability (Tnh bn ca ht nhn)

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As Z increases, the long

range Coulomb repulsion
between protons is balanced
by the presence of additional
neutrons to provide
additional short-range
attractive nuclear forces
Z tng, lc y Coulomb
gia cc proton l cn bng
bi s hin din ca neutron
to nn lc ht ht nhn
khong cch ngn.
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Distribution of stable nuclides (Phn b cc ht nhn bn)

#Nuclides

Even

Even

Even

159

Odd

Even

Odd

53

Odd

Odd

Even

50

Even

Odd

Odd

4
266

Odd (l) v Even (chn)

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Nuclear Collision reactions

a+b

c+d
1
0

235
92

n U

a(b, c)d
236
92

U n, U

235
92

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236
92

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Fundamental laws (Cc nh lut c bn)

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Energy (Nng lng)

Energy, including rest mass, is conserved

Nucleons (S nucleon)
Total A remains the same

Charge (in tch)

Total Z remains the same

Conservation
laws

C
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Momentum
(Xung lng)

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Q - value (Gi tr Q)
Q T f Ti ( M A M B M c M D )c 2

Exothermic reaction produces energy.

Endothermic reaction requires energy
Q>0 exothermic Phn ng ta nhit
Q<0 endothermic Phn ng thu nhit

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Exothermic
Source: http://www.mpoweruk.com

Fission of Uranium 235

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Endothermic

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Radiative capture (Bt bc x)

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Neutron Scattering (Tn x neutron)

Elastic scattering (Tn x n hi)

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Inelastic scattering (tn x khng n hi)

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Neutron absorption (Hp th neutron)

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Beta (minus) decay (Phn r -)

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Positron emission (Phn r +)

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Capture of electron (Bt electron)

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Gamma Decay (Phn r gamma)

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Emission gamma
Pht ra tia gamma.
Occurs when nucleus transitions
from a higher to lower energy state
Xy ra khi ht nhn dch chuyn t
trng thi nng lng cao xung
trng thi c nng lng thp hn.
Energy of photon?
Equal to the change in energy of
nuclear state

Nuclear structure?
Does not change
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Source: http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu

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Type of decay

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Binding Energy (Nng lng lin kt)

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Binding Energy
A = ZMp + NMn MX
The weights of these constituent masses exceeds the
weight of the nucleus if we add the masses of Z protons
and N neutrons that make up a nucleus. The difference
is the mass defect which is positive for all nuclides.
Multiplying by c2 yields the binding energy of the
nucleus.
When the nucleus is formed, the loss in mass is due to
the conversion of mass to binding energy. It is defined
as the energy that is supplied to a nucleus to completely
separate its nucleons.
A measure of nuclear stability is obtained when the
binding energy is normalized to the number of nucleons.
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Binding Energy Curve (ng cong nng lng lin kt)

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Source: http://www.schoolphysics.co.uk

Exothermic reactions
result in reaction
products with higher
binding energy.
Cc phn ng ta nhit
sinh ra cc sn phm
phn hch c nng
lng lin kt cao hn.
Two options
Fission of heavy
nuclides
Fusion of light
nuclides
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Decay chain (Chui phn r)

A

B+C

D+E

N A (t ) N A (0)e

At

dN B (t )
A N A (t ) B N B (t )
dt

N B (t )

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A
B A

N A (0)(e

At

B t

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Decay chain (Chui phn r)

Normalized activity

B = 5A
1.00
0.75
0.50
0.25
0

2
t

B = A

Normalized activity

Normalized activity

B = A/5
1.00
0.75
0.50
0.25
0

2
t

1.00
0.75
0.50
0.25
0

2
t

AA (t)/AA (0)
AB (t)/AA (0)
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Decay chains (Chui phn r)

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Definition of Decay Chain:

The radioactive decay of different discrete radioactive
decay products as a chained series of transformations.
nh ngha chui phn r: L mt chui cc bin i
phn r phng x ca cc sn phm phn r gin on
khc nhau.

Decay chains

Thorium series or 4n
Neptunium series or 4n+1
Uranium or Radium series 4n+2
Actinium series or 4n+3

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Thorium series (Chui phn r ca Thori)

Source: http://www.pubs.usgs.gov

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Neptunium series (Chui phn r ca Neptuni)

Source: http://www.wikimedia.org

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Uranium series (Chui phn r ca Urani)

Source: http://www.pubs.usgs.gov

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Actinium series (Chui phn r ca Actini)

Source: http://www.metadata.berkeley.edu

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Neutron Sources (Ngun neutron)

Spontaneous Fission
T phn hch
Alpha Neutron Source
Ngun alpha neutron
Photoneutrons
Cc quang neutron
Accelerated charged particles
Gia tc cc ht tch in
Fission
Phn hch
Fusion
Nhit hch
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Spontaneous Fission

Spontaneous fission (SF) is a form of radioactive

decay characteristic for very heavy isotopes. In practice,
only energetically feasible for atomic masses above 230
amu. It is theoretically possible for any atomic nucleus
with mass >= 100 amu.
Radioisotopes for which spontaneous fission is a no
negligible decay mode may be used as neutron sources
notably Cf-252 (half-life 2.645 years, SF branch ratio
3.09%)

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Spontaneous Fission
Source: Applied Radiation and Isotopes, Volume 70, Issue 8, August 2012, Pages 14571463

The simulated 252Cf neutron spectrum (Watt fission distribution, blue), the measured data scaled
to match the simulated spectrum (black), and the scaling function (orange)
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Alpha Neutron Source

Source: Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Volume 577, Issue 3, 11 July 2007, Pages 756761

Neutron energy spectra for 252Cf and 241AmBe isotopic neutron source.
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Photoneutrons Spectrum (Ph quang neutron)

Source: Robert C. Runkle at al, NIM A

Photoneutron emission spectra for various target materials demonstrating the high-energy
photofission signature region using a 12-MeV endpoint bremsstrahlung source

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Fission (Phn hch)

Phn hch ca 235U bi
neutron nhit

Energy released

Energy recuperated

168

168

Beta (FP)

Gamma (FP)

Neutrinos

~12

Prompt gammas

7.5

Prompt neutrons

(n, gamma)

3-12

~207

198-207

Fission products

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Liquid drop model (Mu git)

Source: http://large.stanford.edu
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Liquid drop model (Mu git)

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In nuclear fission, the short nuclear bonds of the nucleons

keeps the nucleus together. Initially, thepotential energy of the
nucleus is equal to the binding energy of the nucleons (no
kinetic energy). To deform the nucleus, energy must be
provided in an effort to increase the average distance between
the nucleons, thus increasing the potential energy of the
nucleus. However, the strong nuclear forces are very short.
Thus when the separation starts, the repulsive forces diminish
and the potential energy diminishes as well. There is thus a
threshold energy required (about 6 MeV) for fission.
Quantum mechanics also explains how spontaneous fission
can happen, but with very-low probability, through a tunnelling
effect without any energy input
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Critical Energy (nng lng ti hn)

Critical Energies Compared to Binding Energy of Last Neutron

So snh nng lng ti hn vi nng lng lin kt ca neutron ngoi cng
Target
Nucleus

Critical Energy
Ecrit

Binding energy of the

last neutron BEn

BEn Ecrit

232Th

7.5 MeV

5.4 MeV

-2.1 MeV

238U

7.0 MeV

5.5 MeV

-1.5 MeV

235U

6.5 MeV

6.8 MeV

+0.3 MeV

233U

6.0 MeV

7.0 MeV

+1.0 MeV

239Pu

5.0 MeV

6.6 MeV

+1.6 MeV

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Fission cross section of fissionable nuclei

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Source: Robert C. Runkle at al, NIM A

Comparison of neutron-induced (dotted lines) and photon-induced (solid lines) fission cross-sections
as a function of particle energy for various isotopes

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Fertile materials

Materials that can undergo transmutation to become fissile materials.

L nhng vt liu c th tri qua qu trnh bin i tr thnh vt liu
c th phn hch.

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Fission Products

Materials that can undergo transmutation to become fissile materials.

L nhng vt liu c th tri qua qu trnh bin i tr thnh vt liu
c th phn hch.

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Stability of fission products

Neutron rich fission products beta decay towards stability.

Cc sn phm phn hch u giu neutron s phn r beta chuyn
thnh cc ht nhn bn.

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Neutron multiplication (H s nhn neutron)

k = multiplication factor =

Critical, k=1
Sub-critical, k<1
Super-critical, k>1

Number of neutrons in one generation

Number of neutrons in preceding generation
N(t)

k>1
N(0)

k=1
k<1

t
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Prompt neutron (Neutron tc thi)

(E) = 0.453e1.036 E sinh 2.29E

(E )dE is average number
of fission neutrons emitted
with energy in E to E+dE
per fission neutron.
(E )dE l s neutron phn
hch trung bnh pht ra
trong khong nng lng t
E ti E+dE trn mt
neutron phn hch.

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Delayed neutron (Neutron tr)

87Br

55s

87Kr*

Neutron
86

Kr + Neutron

Emission

87Kr

Less than 1% of neutrons from fission are

considered delayed. Delayed neutrons appear
long after the fission event through the decay
of certain fission products, also called
neutron precursors. These delayed neutrons
are essential to the control of nuclear
reactors since they appear many orders of
magnitude later than the prompt neutrons.
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87Rb

87Sr

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