Sentences with phrase «to absorb neutrons»

In earlier studies, Fermi had found that uranium nuclei would absorb neutrons more easily if the neutrons were moving relatively slowly.

The Langevin 4D model improves how we can predict low - energy fission and can be used for various nuclei such as poisonous nuclear wastes populated by successively absorbed neutrons starting from uranium.

TEPCO is currently injecting seawater and boric acid — boron absorbs the neutrons that radioactive materials give off to prevent any self - sustaining fission — into two of the three reactors, according to the company's statements.

It is also said to be «fertile,» because when a uranium 238 atom absorbs a neutron without splitting, it transmutes into plutonium 239, which, like uranium 235, is fissile and can sustain a chain reaction.

One problem with this idea is that any 3He produced near a neutron source would readily absorb a neutron and become 4He.

These are formed when uranium absorbs a neutron and doesn't fission, and include some nasty elements like neptunium, plutonium, americium, curium.

Controlling the chain reaction was extremely important: If the balance between produced and absorbed neutrons was not exactly right, then the chain reactions either would not proceed at all, or in the other much more dangerous extreme, the chain reactions would multiply rapidly with the release of enormous amounts of energy.

When the control rods are inserted into the core, they absorb neutrons and stop the fission chain reaction.

The chamber is 30 centimetres thick and made of metal covered by a layer of concrete laced with boron to absorb the neutrons.

In order to shutdown the reactor quickly, the PRISM reactor includes control rods which can be inserted into the reactor core in order to absorb neutrons.

In nuclear reactors the control rods and fission poisons (like boron in the fuel rods) absorb neutrons to prevent a runaway reaction.