Hydrogen nuclear explosion

Fermi resonance physchem In a polyatomic molecule, the relationship of two vibrational levels that have In zero approximation nearly the same energy they repel each other, and the eigenfunctions of the two states mix. fer-me, rez-3n-3ns fermium chem Asynthetic radioactive element, symbol Fm, with atomic number 100 discovered in debris of the 1952 hydrogen bomb explosion, and now made in nuclear reactors. fer-me-3m )... 

Group led by American physicist Albert Ghiorso Discovered in the debris of the first hydrogen bomb explosions in the Pacific and named for the physicist Enrico Fermi who produced the first nuclear chain reaction. 

On the other hand, light atomic nuclei like hydrogen fuse together to form heavier nuclei with the consequent release of energy in the fusion process. Nuclear explosives are the most powerful types and there are different varieties of explosive devices based on the mechanics of the explosion. An important example is Equation 1.2 ... 

On the other hand, most, if not all, ordinary novas occur in double-star systems. For example, consider a red giant in the vicinity of a white dwarf. The gravitational field of the white dwarf may pull hydrogen from its larger companion, thereby initiating fusion and causing a nuclear explosion, a nova, that launches a small amount of gas into space. The process may repeat many times. 

The isotope 242Cm was first isolated among the products of a-bombardment of 239Pu, and its discovery actually preceded that of americium. Isotopes of other elements were first identified in products from the first hydrogen bomb explosion (1952) or in cyclotron bombardments. Although Cm, Bk, and Cf have been obtained in macro amounts (Table 20-2), much of the chemical information has been obtained on the tracer scale. For the later elements, i.e., those with Z > 100, identification of a few atoms of short lifetime has required the use of very rapid separation techniques and detection based on their nuclear properties. 

Hydrogen bomb—An nuclear explosive weapon which uses hydrogen isotopes as fuel and an atom bomb as a detonator. More powerful than an atom bomb, the Hydrogen bomb derives its destructive power from energy released when nuclei of hydrogen are forced together to form helium nuclei in a process called nuclear fusion. Also called H-bomb or Thermonuclear bomb. 

Westinghouse Savannah River has long experience with hydrogen and hydrides as a maker of nuclear explosives, and in recent years the company has become active in developing peacetime applications such as a hydrogen bus and the use of hydrides in air conditioning equipment. 

The explosion of thermonuclear hydrogen bombs containing uranium resulted in the formation of elements 99 and 100 ( 16.2.5). These elements were synthesized in the extremely short time of the explosion by the intense neutron flux bombarding the uranium (shaded area in Figure 16.4). The explosion of the hydrogen bomb duplicated in a very small way what is believed to be the process of the formation of the heaviest elements in supemovae. The neutron fluxes and exposures in the s- and r-processes as compared to those in a nuclear explosion and a reactor are given in Table 17.3. 

The elements with atomic numbers higher than 92, the transuranium elements are generally produced by bombarding suitable nuclei either with neutrons in a nuclear reactor or with accelerated positive particles. Elements 99 and 100 (einsteinium and fermium) were initially detected among the products of the first hydrogen bomb explosion in 1952. All the transuranium elements are artificial, with the exception of plutonium, one isotope of which is found in natural uranium and is formed as a result of neutron bombardment in the mineral deposit. Using... 

In the early days of molecular mechanics by computer (about 1966), Dr. Mary Ann Miller, a co-worker, came to me one day and said something to the effect that she was minimizing the energy of a molecnle, and two of the hydrogen atoms within that molecule collapsed to form helium, and there was a nuclear explosion. And I said what But I looked at her printout, and indeed it was true. The two hydrogens came together to exactly the same point, that is, they formed a helium atom (although an... 

Atoms with the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons in their nuclei are called isotopes. They are chemically identical atoms of the same element but have different masses and may differ in their nuclear properties. Some isotopes are radioactive isotopes or radionuclides, which have unstable nuclei that give off charged particles and gamma rays in the form of radioactivity. Radioactivity may have detrimental, or even fatal, health effects a number of hazardous substances are radioactive and they can cause major environmental problems. The most striking example of such contamination resulted from a massive explosion and fire at a power reactor in the Ukrainian city of Chernobyl in 1986. A more recent episode of radionuclide contamination took place as the result of the catastrophic March 11, 2011, earthquake and tsunami followed by hydrogen gas explosions that destroyed four reactors and exposed spent fuel rods at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Japan, requiring the evacuation of thousands of nearby residents. 

Criticality Precautions. The presence of a critical mass of Pu ia a container can result ia a fission chain reaction. Lethal amounts of gamma and neutron radiation are emitted, and a large amount of heat is produced. The assembly can simmer near critical or can make repeated critical excursions. The generation of heat results eventually ia an explosion which destroys the assembly. The quantity of Pu required for a critical mass depends on several factors the form and concentration of the Pu, the geometry of the system, the presence of moderators (water, hydrogen-rich compounds such as polyethylene, cadmium, etc), the proximity of neutron reflectors, the presence of nuclear poisons, and the potential iateraction with neighboring fissile systems (188). As Httle as 509 g of Pu(N02)4 solution at a concentration Pu of 33 g/L ia a spherical container, reflected by an infinite amount of water, is a critical mass (189,190). Evaluation of criticaUty controls is available (32,190). 

Overpressure, overtemperature, hydrogen explosion, steam explosion, and core melt through are mechanisms that may fail the containment of nuclear and chemical reactors,... 

A hydrogen bomb, which uses nuclear fusion for its destructive power, is three bombs in one. A conventional explosive charge triggers a fission bomb, which in turn triggers a fusion reaction. Such bombs can be considerably more powerful than fission bombs because they can incorporate larger masses of nuclear fuel. In a fission bomb, no component of fissionable material can exceed the critical mass. In fusion, there is no critical mass because fusion begins at a threshold temperature and is independent of the amount of nuclear fuel present. Thus, there is no theoretical limit on how much nuclear fiiel can be squeezed into a fusion bomb. 

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