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Related Concept Videos

Nuclear Power02:36

Nuclear Power

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Controlled nuclear fission reactions are used to generate electricity. Any nuclear reactor that produces power via the fission of uranium or plutonium by bombardment with neutrons has six components: nuclear fuel consisting of fissionable material, a nuclear moderator, a neutron source, control rods, reactor coolant, and a shield and containment system.
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Nuclear fuel consists of a fissile isotope, such as uranium-235, which must be present in sufficient quantity to provide a...
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Nuclear Transmutation03:20

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Nuclear transmutation is the conversion of one nuclide into another. It can occur by the radioactive decay of a nucleus, or the reaction of a nucleus with another particle. The first manmade nucleus was produced in Ernest Rutherford’s laboratory in 1919 by a transmutation reaction, the bombardment of one type of nuclei with other nuclei or with neutrons. Rutherford bombarded nitrogen-14 atoms with high-speed α particles from a natural radioactive isotope of radium and observed...
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Nuclear Fission02:50

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Many heavier elements with smaller binding energies per nucleon can decompose into more stable elements that have intermediate mass numbers and larger binding energies per nucleon—that is, mass numbers and binding energies per nucleon that are closer to the “peak” of the binding energy graph near 56. Sometimes neutrons are also produced. This decomposition of a large nucleus into smaller pieces is called fission. The breaking is rather random with the formation of a large...
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Nuclear Stability03:18

Nuclear Stability

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Protons and neutrons, collectively called nucleons, are packed together tightly in a nucleus. With a radius of about 10−15 meters, a nucleus is quite small compared to the radius of the entire atom, which is about 10−10 meters. Nuclei are extremely dense compared to bulk matter, averaging 1.8 × 1014 grams per cubic centimeter. If the earth’s density were equal to the average nuclear density, the earth’s radius would be only about 200 meters.
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Types of Radioactivity03:23

Types of Radioactivity

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The most common types of radioactivity are α decay, β decay, γ decay, neutron emission, and electron capture.
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Radioactivity and Nuclear Equations03:18

Radioactivity and Nuclear Equations

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Nuclear chemistry is the study of reactions that involve changes in nuclear structure. The nucleus of an atom is composed of protons and, except for hydrogen, neutrons. The number of protons in the nucleus is called the atomic number (Z) of the element, and the sum of the number of protons and the number of neutrons is the mass number (A). Atoms with the same atomic number but different mass numbers are isotopes of the same element.
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Neutron Radiography and Computed Tomography of Biological Systems at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory's High Flux Isotope Reactor
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Characterization of a plutonium-beryllium neutron source.

P-A Söderström1, C Matei1, L Capponi1

  • 1Extreme Light Infrastructure-Nuclear Physics (ELI-NP), Horia Hulubei National Institute for R&D in Physics and Nuclear Engineering (IFIN-HH), Reactorului 30, 077125 Bucharest-Măgurele, Romania.

Applied Radiation and Isotopes : Including Data, Instrumentation and Methods for Use in Agriculture, Industry and Medicine
|October 1, 2020
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers characterized a plutonium-beryllium neutron source for detector calibration in Romania. Key findings include isotopic composition, neutron activity, and energy spectra, crucial for nuclear material traceability and radioprotection.

Keywords:
Isotopic compositionNeutron detectorsNeutron energy spectraNeutron sourcesPlutonium–berylliumγ-ray spectroscopy

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Speciation and Bioavailability Measurements of Environmental Plutonium Using Diffusion in Thin Films
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Speciation and Bioavailability Measurements of Environmental Plutonium Using Diffusion in Thin Films

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Speciation and Bioavailability Measurements of Environmental Plutonium Using Diffusion in Thin Films
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Speciation and Bioavailability Measurements of Environmental Plutonium Using Diffusion in Thin Films

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Area of Science:

  • Nuclear Physics and Engineering
  • Materials Science
  • Radiation Detection and Measurement

Background:

  • Characterization of neutron sources is essential for nuclear research and safety.
  • A plutonium-beryllium (PuBe) neutron source at Horia Hulubei National Institute of Physics and Nuclear Engineering requires detailed analysis.
  • This characterization supports the Extreme Light Infrastructure - Nuclear Physics (ELI-NP) project.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To thoroughly investigate a PuBe neutron source for detector calibration.
  • To determine the isotopic composition, neutron emission rate, and energy spectra of the source.
  • To provide essential data for nuclear material traceability, radioprotection, and instrument calibration.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized multiple techniques and instruments for comprehensive analysis.
  • Measured isotopic composition of plutonium, focusing on 239Pu and 240Pu.
  • Determined source activity and mean neutron energy, alongside gamma-tagged and full neutron energy spectra.

Main Results:

  • Plutonium isotopic composition: 75% 239Pu, 24% 240Pu, with minor other isotopes.
  • Source activity measured as 2.220(5)×10^5 neutrons/second as of November 20th, 2019.
  • Mean neutron energy determined to be 3.25(17) MeV, with detailed energy spectra analysis.

Conclusions:

  • The detailed characterization provides crucial parameters for the PuBe neutron source.
  • These findings are vital for accurate detector calibration within the ELI-NP project.
  • The data supports nuclear material traceability, radioprotection protocols, and scientific research.