Nuclear fission products are the atomic fragments left after a large atomic nucleus undergoes nuclear fission.Typically, a large nucleus like that of uranium fissions by splitting into two smaller nuclei, along with a few neutrons, the release of heat energy (kinetic energy of the nuclei), and gamma rays.The two smaller nuclei are the fission products.

A nuclear reactor, formerly known as an atomic pile, is a device used to initiate and control a fission nuclear chain reaction or nuclear fusion reactions.Nuclear reactors are used at nuclear power plants for electricity generation and in nuclear marine propulsion.Heat from nuclear fission is passed to a working fluid (water or gas), which in turn runs through steam turbines.

The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant, in Niigata Prefecture, Japan, the world's largest single nuclear power station, was completely shut down for 21 months following an earthquake in 2007. [1] Erosion of the 150-millimetre-thick (5.9 in) carbon steel reactor head at Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Plant , in Oak Harbor, Ohio, USA , in 2002 ...

Spontaneous fission (SF) is a form of radioactive decay that is found only in very heavy chemical elements.The nuclear binding energy of the elements reaches its maximum at an atomic mass number of about 56 (e.g., iron-56); spontaneous breakdown into smaller nuclei and a few isolated nuclear particles becomes possible at greater atomic mass numbers.

This article covers the technical aspects of active nuclear safety systems in the United States. For a general approach to nuclear safety, see nuclear safety.. The three primary objectives of nuclear reactor safety systems as defined by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission are to shut down the reactor, maintain it in a shutdown condition and prevent the release of radioactive material.

When nuclear fission is used to generate electricity, it is referred to as nuclear power.In this case, uranium-235 is used as the nuclear fuel and its fission is triggered by the absorption of a slow moving thermal neutron. Other isotopes that can be induced to fission like this are plutonium-239, uranium-233, and thorium-232. For elements lighter than iron on the periodic table nuclear …

Strong interaction or strong nuclear force is a fundamental interaction that confines quarks into proton, neutron, and other hadron particles. The strong interaction also binds neutrons and protons to create atomic nuclei, where it is called the nuclear force.. Most of the mass of a common proton or neutron is the result of the strong interaction energy; the individual quarks …

The nuclear weapons tests of the Soviet Union were performed between 1949 and 1990 as part of the nuclear arms race.The Soviet Union conducted 715 nuclear tests using 969 total devices by official count, including 219 atmospheric, underwater, and space tests and 124 peaceful use tests. Most of the tests took place at the Southern Test Site in Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan and …

A pressurized heavy-water reactor (PHWR) is a nuclear reactor that uses heavy water (deuterium oxide D 2 O) as its coolant and neutron moderator. PHWRs frequently use natural uranium as fuel, but sometimes also use very low enriched uranium.The heavy water coolant is kept under pressure to avoid boiling, allowing it to reach higher temperature (mostly) without forming …