NUCLEAR REACTION

A nuclear reaction is a process in which two nuclei, or a nucleus and an

external subatomic particle, collide to produce one or more new nuclides. The nuclides
produced from nuclear reactions are different from the reacting nuclei (commonly
referred to as the parent nuclei).
Definition
The reactions in which the nucleus of an atom converts into new atoms and emits a
large amount of energy are called nuclear reactions.
Example
When neutrons are showered on Uranium-235 at a slow speed, the heavy nucleus of
uranium-235 splits into two nuclei barium-141 and krypton-92 and three neutrons
emitted. A large amount of energy is produced in this reaction.

235 1 236 141 92 1

92 U + 0n → 92U → 36 Ba + 36 Kr +3 0n

Characteristics of Nuclear Reaction

1. In these reactions, both electrons and nuclei undergo changes. In these
reactions the atomic number of the elements changes.
2. In these completely new elements are formed and there is a decrease in mass.
3. The rate of nuclear reaction is unaffected by temperature and pressure.
 4. Nuclear reactions are always irreversible. A large amount of energy is released in
a nuclear reaction.
Types of Nuclear Reaction
Nuclear fission
Nuclear fission refers to the splitting of an atomic nucleus into two or lighter nuclei.
Nuclear fission reactions often release a large amount of energy, which is accompanied
by the emission of neutrons and gamma rays (photons holding huge amounts of energy,
enough to knock electrons out of atoms).
Nuclear fission was first discovered by the German chemists Otto Hahn and Fritz
Strassmann in the year 1938. The energy produced from fission reactions is converted
into electricity in nuclear power plants. This is done by using the heat produced from the
nuclear reaction to convert water into steam. The steam is used to rotate turbines in
order to generate electricity.

Examples

An important example of nuclear fission is the splitting of the uranium-235 nucleus when
it is bombarded with neutrons. Various products can be formed from this nuclear
reaction, as described in the equations below.

 235
U + 1n → 141Ba + 92Kr + 3 1n
 235
U + 1n → 144Xe + 90Sr + 2 1n
 235
U + 1n → 146La + 87Br + 3 1n
 235
U + 1n → 137Te + 97Zr + 2 1n
 235
U + 1n → 137Cs + 96Rb + 3 1n
Nuclear fusion
In nuclear fusion reactions, at least two atomic nuclei combine/fuse into a single
nucleus. Subatomic particles such as neutrons or protons are also formed as products
in these nuclear reactions.

An illustration of the nuclear fusion reaction between deuterium (2H) and tritium (3H) that
yields helium (4He) and a neutron (1n) is provided above. Such fusion reactions occur at
the core of the sun and other stars. The fusion of deuterium and tritium nuclei is
accompanied by a loss of approximately 0.0188 amu of mass (which is completely
converted into energy). Approximately 1.69*109 kilojoules of energy are generated for
every mole of helium formed.
Radioactive Decay
Radioactive decay (also known as nuclear decay, radioactivity, radioactive
disintegration, or nuclear disintegration) is the process by which an unstable atomic
nucleus loses energy by radiation.
A material containing unstable nuclei is considered radioactive. Three of the most
common types of decay are alpha, beta, and gamma decay. The weak force is
the mechanism that is responsible for beta decay, while the other two are governed by
the electromagnetism and nuclear force.
Alpha Decay
Nuclei with mass numbers greater than 200 tend to undergo alpha decay – a process in
which a 4He nucleus, commonly referred to as an alpha particle (42α) is liberated from
the parent nucleus.
A
Z X → A −4
Z−2 X’ + 42α
226
88 Ra → 22286Rn + 42α

Beta Decay

Beta decay is a radioactive decay in which a beta ray is emitted from an atomic nucleus.
During beta decay, the proton in the nucleus is transformed into a neutron and vice
versa. If a proton is converted to a neutron, it is known as β+ decay. Similarly, if a
neutron is converted to a proton, it is known as β– decay. Due to the change in the
nucleus, a beta particle is emitted. The beta particle is a high-speed electron when it is
a β– decay and a positron when it is a β+ decay. Beta particles are used to treat health
conditions such as eye and bone cancer and are also used as tracers.

→ Z +1A X ’ +e−¿¿ + ʋ 146C → 147 N + −10 β

A

β−¿= Z X¿

→ Z−1A X ’ +e +¿¿ + ʋ
A

β +¿= Z X¿
Gamma Decay

Gamma decay is the emission of electromagnetic radiation of an extremely high

frequency i.e. very high energy, giving out excess energy in order to stabilize the
unstable nucleus. You must be quite familiar with the various energy levels in an atom.
The Nucleus has its own energy levels. Gamma decay is the nucleus’s way of dropping
from a higher energy level to a lower energy level through the emission of high energy
photons. The energy level transition energies in the atom are in the order of MeV.
Therefore, the gamma-ray emitted is also of very high energy of the order of MeV, just
like x-rays. The gamma rays emitted can be differentiated from x-rays only by the fact
that gamma rays come from the nucleus. Due to their high energy, they are extremely
penetrating and thereby dangerous to biological life forms.

Here we will speak a little further about the distinction between an x-ray and a gamma-
ray. X-rays are emitted by electrons (either in the orbits or in outside applications like
particle accelerators, synchrotrons radiation, etc) whereas gamma rays are emitted by
the nucleus, particle decay, or annihilation reactions.

Unlike, alpha decay and beta decay, the parent nucleus does not undergo any physical
change in the process, daughter and parent nuclei are the same. Most of the time,
gamma decay occurs after the radioactive nuclei have undergone an alpha or a beta
decay. The alpha and beta decays leave the daughter nuclei in an excited state. From
the excited state, the daughter nuclei can get back to the ground state by emitting one
or more high energy gamma rays