Sentences with phrase «generated by the radioactive decay»

Natural circulation in the reactor alone is enough to remove all the heat generated by the radioactive decay of the elements in the reactor fuel.

What is not clear, however, is how much of this heat is primordial — left over from the formation of the Earth — and how much is generated by radioactive decay.»

«About 50 % of the heat given off by the Earth is generated by the radioactive decay of elements such as uranium and thorium, and their decay products.

Not exact matches

Because Charon's modern - day surface is mostly water ice, it makes sense that the 1212 - km - diameter moon once had a subsurface ocean kept liquid by heat from the radioactive decay of elements in its core, as well as by the heat generated from collisions of smaller bits when the moon first accumulated.

Because the energy source is symmetrically distributed throughout the shell wall, at some point the external surface of the shell will reach a temperature such that the rate of energy radiated outward by this surface will be equal to the rate at which radioactive decay energy is generated internal to the shell wall.

Part of this heat is generated by the natural decay of radioactive element in the rocks, and part of the heat is left over from the formation of the Earth five billion years ago — when gravity pulled together bits of gas and dust to form our planet.