Spontaneous fission
Also known as: SF · spontaneous nuclear fission
- 1Spontaneous fission is a form of radioactive decay.
- 2A heavy nucleus splits into two or more lighter nuclei.
- 3The process is purely probabilistic.
- 4It occurs without an inciting particle to trigger the decay.
Spontaneous fission (SF) is a form of radioactive decay in which a heavy atomic nucleus splits into two or more lighter nuclei.
Connections1
Primary decay mode
Spontaneous fission is a significant decay mode for heavier isotopes of fermium, limiting the ability to produce larger quantities.
Spontaneous fission (SF) is a specific form of radioactive decay characterized by a heavy atomic nucleus splitting into two or more lighter nuclei. Unlike other forms of fission, this process occurs without the need for an external inciting particle to trigger the reaction.
Spontaneous fission half-life of various nuclides depending on their Z 2 / A ratio. Nuclides of the same element are linked with a red line. The green line shows the upper limit of half-life. Data taken from French Wikipedia.Wikimedia Commons: File:(SF)_Halflife_of_Radionulides_depending_on_Z²_to_A_ratio.pngspontaneous nuclear fission of Uranium 235, branching ratio is ca 2*10^(-7) -- BEWARE that this image documents the RARE SPONTANEOUS nuclear fission of Uranium 235 and thus is UNSUITABLE to illustrate concepts like "critical mass", "chain reaction", "nuke reactor", "nuke weapon" and similarWikimedia Commons; Kernzerfall.png : Stefan-Xp derivative work: McSush ( talk ) optimization: Taylor; Kernzerfall.png; CC BY-SA 3.0; Wikimedia Commons; Wikidata P18 (image) Because there is no external trigger, spontaneous fission is considered a purely probabilistic process. It is an intrinsic property of certain heavy nuclei, occurring naturally as a result of the instability inherent in their atomic structure.