Re: fissile, fissionable

[rkathren@tricity.wsu.edu (Ron L. Kathren)]

Franz --

The fact that a selfsustaining or supercritical state can occur with
neutrons above thermal energies in no way alters the definition of
'fissile', a term that really was developed for reactor work, specifically
because of the moderator.  Some specific nuclei (U-233, U-235, and Pu-239)
have very large fission cross sections at low energies, and are thus fissile
and useful as reactor fuels.  But, one can also have a 'fast' reactor, as in
the LMFBR.

Hope this helps; your English is fine, and I thank you for the kind words.

Ron

>At 18:52 24.01.1997 -0600, you wrote:
>>I guess I'll put my 2 cents worth in;  fissile means capable of supporting a
>>self sustaining chain reaction by thermal neutrons; fissionable means
>>capable of undergoing fission (which virtually every nuclide except maybe
>>hydrogen-1 can), given the right conditions.
>>
>>Ron Kathren
>>rkathren@tricity.wsu.edu
>>
>...................................................
>
>Ron,
>
>In spite of my limited knowledge of English I have a feeling, that your
>definition is right, especially since everything can be "fissioned" with
>atoms, ions etc, depending on the energy and the nucleus involved. But how
>about nuclear fission bombs - there are no thermal neutrons!
>
>Franz
>Schoenhofer
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>
>
>