Question about Cumulative Fission Yields

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In summary, cumulative fission yields refer to the total amount of radioactive materials produced from a nuclear reaction. These yields can vary depending on the type of fuel used and the energy of the neutron that initiates the fission process. They are important for understanding the distribution of radioactive isotopes and their potential impact on the environment and human health. Additionally, cumulative fission yields are used in the design and operation of nuclear reactors and in nuclear forensics to identify the source of nuclear material.
  • #1
mesa
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So CFY gives the average number of atoms of a specific nuclide produced from a fission directly plus that from the decay of precursors, so why does thermal U233 have two values for Gallium @ 7.192x10^(-8) and 1.0788x10^(-8)? Is this number dependent on the thermal range the neutrons that hit the nucleus of U233?
 
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  • #2
mesa said:
So CFY gives the average number of atoms of a specific nuclide produced from a fission directly plus that from the decay of precursors, so why does thermal U233 have two values for Gallium @ 7.192x10^(-8) and 1.0788x10^(-8)? Is this number dependent on the thermal range the neutrons that hit the nucleus of U233?
What is the source of the data. Some databases will give a cumulative fission yields for thermal and fast fissions, and some give the fast fission yield at ~1 MeV and/or 14 MeV.
 
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  • #3
For this topic the interest is in thermal neutron fission, i.e. a MSR, just like a light water solid fuel reactor.
 
  • #4
Astronuc said:
What is the source of the data. Some databases will give a cumulative fission yields for thermal and fast fissions, and some give the fast fission yield at ~1 MeV and/or 14 MeV.

Just what mheslep said, we are looking at thermal. I got the values for a parent U233 off of this chart for Gallium 69:
http://www-nds.iaea.org/relnsd/vchart/
I don't understand why there are two values there.

I noticed the IAEA definition for CFY's is, "total number of atoms of a specific nuclide produced directly by a fission event and via decay of precursors", (link:http://www-nds.iaea.org/sgnucdat/safeg2008.pdf) but wikepedia says it is per 100 fissions (link:http://www.nucleonica.net/wiki/index.php/Help:Fission_Products_and_Yields ), which is correct?
 
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  • #5
mesa said:
Just what mheslep said, we are looking at thermal. I got the values for a parent U233 off of this chart for Gallium 69:
http://www-nds.iaea.org/relnsd/vchart/
I don't understand why there are two values there.
The second value should be the uncertainty. These values are from the European database.

From the JENDL-4.0 database (http://wwwndc.jaea.go.jp/cgi-bin/nuclinfo2010a.cgi?31,72,1) for Ga-72 gives:
Code:
Neutron-induced Fission Yields - Cumulative Fission Yield -
Product  Nuclide  Energy(eV)  Fission Yield  Uncertainty(s)
------------------------------------------------------------
Ga- 69    U-233 (T) 2.53e-02   9.397010e-08   4.234410e-08 
Ga- 71    U-233 (T) 2.53e-02   1.617040e-06   7.289880e-07 

Ga- 72   U-233 (T) 2.53e-02   4.163520e-06   2.662330e-06
Ga 69, 71 are stable.
I added 69 from (http://wwwndc.jaea.go.jp/cgi-bin/nuclinfo2010a.cgi?31,69,1)
and 71 from (http://wwwndc.jaea.go.jp/cgi-bin/nuclinfo2010a.cgi?31,71,1)

I noticed the IAEA definition for CFY's is, "total number of atoms of a specific nuclide produced directly by a fission event and via decay of precursors", (link:http://www-nds.iaea.org/sgnucdat/safeg2008.pdf) but wikepedia says it is per 100 fissions (link:http://www.nucleonica.net/wiki/index.php/Help:Fission_Products_and_Yields ), which is correct?
I'd trust the iaea definition, but one should verify with another sources, e.g., US DOE national lab like Brookhaven

mheslep said:
For this topic the interest is in thermal neutron fission, i.e. a MSR, just like a light water solid fuel reactor.
LWR have a fast flux. Fast fission accounts for 8 to 10% of fssions in an LWR, although that is in U-238. Likewise, the MSR will have fast fission. The problematic (n,α) reaction in Ni is from fast neutrons; the (n,α) reaction does not occur at thermal energies.
 
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  • #6
Astronuc said:
...

LWR have a fast flux. Fast fission accounts for 8 to 10% of fssions in an LWR, although that is in U-238.
Thanks.

Likewise, the MSR will have fast fission.
Would it? Yes there will be fast neutrons, but there would be no U238 in a Th based MSR to fission from fast neutrons.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thorium_fuel_cycle#Actinide_wastes
 
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  • #7
Astronuc said:
The second value should be the uncertainty. These values are from the European database.

From the JENDL-4.0 database (http://wwwndc.jaea.go.jp/cgi-bin/nuclinfo2010a.cgi?31,72,1) for Ga-72 gives:
Code:
Neutron-induced Fission Yields - Cumulative Fission Yield -
Product  Nuclide  Energy(eV)  Fission Yield  Uncertainty(s)
------------------------------------------------------------
Ga- 69    U-233 (T) 2.53e-02   9.397010e-08   4.234410e-08 
Ga- 71    U-233 (T) 2.53e-02   1.617040e-06   7.289880e-07 

Ga- 72   U-233 (T) 2.53e-02   4.163520e-06   2.662330e-06
Ga 69, 71 are stable.
I added 69 from (http://wwwndc.jaea.go.jp/cgi-bin/nuclinfo2010a.cgi?31,69,1)
and 71 from (http://wwwndc.jaea.go.jp/cgi-bin/nuclinfo2010a.cgi?31,71,1)

I'd trust the iaea definition, but one should verify with another sources, e.g., US DOE national lab like Brookhaven

LWR have a fast flux. Fast fission accounts for 8 to 10% of fssions in an LWR, although that is in U-238. Likewise, the MSR will have fast fission. The problematic (n,α) reaction in Ni is from fast neutrons; the (n,α) reaction does not occur at thermal energies.

Uncertainty, very good.
Those values on your table are slightly different from the table I used, should I stick with iaea values or switch to jaea?
 

1. What is cumulative fission yield?

Cumulative fission yield refers to the total amount of fission products produced from a specific nuclear reaction or fission event. It is expressed as a percentage of the total fission products produced.

2. How is cumulative fission yield calculated?

Cumulative fission yield is calculated by adding together the individual yields of all fission products produced in a fission event. These individual yields are determined through experimental measurements and theoretical calculations.

3. Why is cumulative fission yield important?

Cumulative fission yield is important for understanding the behavior of nuclear reactors and the potential release of radioactive materials. It also plays a role in nuclear weapon design and monitoring of nuclear weapons testing.

4. How does cumulative fission yield vary among different nuclear reactions?

Cumulative fission yield can vary greatly among different nuclear reactions, depending on the type of fissionable material and the energy of the reacting particles. For example, the cumulative fission yield for uranium-235 is different than that of plutonium-239.

5. How does cumulative fission yield affect nuclear waste management?

Cumulative fission yield is a crucial factor in nuclear waste management, as it determines the amount and types of radioactive materials that are produced during fission. This information is used to develop strategies for safely storing and disposing of nuclear waste.

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