Element wise thermal fission chain yield of 235U, 239Pu

The final stable products of the thermal fission chain of ²³⁵U (Uranium-235) and ²³⁹Pu (Plutonium-239) are either long lived fission products or stable elements after undergoing multiple beta decays.

 

Fission Chain Reaction in Uranium-235 and Plutonium-239

$$$$235U+n→92Kr+141Ba+3n+200 MeV$${}^{239}Pu + n \rightarrow {}^{144}Ba + {}^{95}Kr + 3n + 200 \text{ MeV}$$$$$$Lets see the decay of mass number 141

$${}^{141}_{54}Xe \xrightarrow{1.7 \text{ sec}, \beta^-} {}^{141}_{55}Cs \xrightarrow{25 \text{ sec}, \beta^-} {}^{141}_{56}Ba \xrightarrow{18 \text{ min}, \beta^-} {}^{141}_{57}La \xrightarrow{3.9 \text{ hr}, \beta^-} {}^{141}_{58}Ce \xrightarrow{32.5 \text{ d}, \beta^-} {}^{141}_{59}Pr \quad (\text{Stable})$$

It is absolutely difficult to find out which nuclide is formed after decay of its precursors from simple plot of chain yield vs mass number. Every time we have to refer nuclide chart. This graph shown above is going to solve the issue. 

Chain yield of 235U and 239Pu are plotted as a function of mass number and each mass number is marked with stable (or long lived) fission product. 

Using this graph Nuclear and Radio-chemists can easily calculate element wise yield from thermal fission of 235U and 239Pu. We shall compute the calculation in some other post.

Application of the plot

• To find out stable isotope against each mass number. 

• To estimate element wise % fission yield  

• Element wise mapping of fission yield graph 

• To compare estimate element wise % fission yield of 235U and 239Pu for thermal fission

Reference

All are included in the text as hyperlink

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