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  Home > JCE Print > Journal of Chemical Education > Issues > 2008  > March  >
Research: Science and Education
A Graphical Examination of Uranium and Plutonium Fissility
B. Cameron Reed
Department of Physics, Alma College, Alma, MI 48801-1599
Cover
March 2008
Vol. 85 No. 3
p. 446
Abstract
The issue of why only particular isotopes of uranium and plutonium are suitable for use in nuclear weapons is analyzed with the aid of graphs and semiquantitative discussions of parameters such as excitation energies, fission barriers, reaction cross-sections, and the role of processes such as α-decay and spontaneous fission. The goal is to provide readers with a ready reference for dealing with questions regarding which isotopes are of concern in discussions of weapons proliferation.
More Information
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Citation
Reed, B. Cameron. J. Chem. Educ. 2008, 85, 446.
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Keywords
History / Philosophy; Isotopes; Nuclear / Radiochemistry; Physical Chemistry; Plutonium; Public Understanding / Outreach; Upper-Division Undergraduate; Uranium
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History
Created:
Last Updated:
2/4/2008
2/8/2008
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  Home > JCE Print > Journal of Chemical Education > Issues > 2008  > March  > Page 446


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