Nuclear Cross Sections of the Fissile Isotopes

The behavior of is generally similar to that of but the Pu and Pu cross sections are characterized by the presence of a prominent resonance at around 0.3 eV (see Fig. 2.10). As will be seen later, the 

The parameter a, quoted in the last column, is the ratio of the capture and fission cross sections, i.e., 

of course, the relatively high value of a for the plutonium isotopes that results in their thermal rj values being of roughly the same magnitude as those for and despite the higher number of neutrons per fission in the former case (see Table 2.2). The consequences of the variation of a with neutron energy will be considered in detail in later chapters. 

A nucleus of 94Pu captures a slow neutron and undergoes fission to form the fission products 43Tc ° and 5jSb. Calculate the energy release in the fission. 

A nucleus of undergoes spontaneous fission to yield two nuclei of 

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