Does Gravity Affect Nuclear Reactions in Space?

[comsat]

Will zero gravity effect the fission and fusion of the atoms making a chain reaction impossibile

 

[Borek]

No.



.

 

[ideasrule]

Nukes have been tested in space before:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starfish_Prime

There were also fears by the United States that the Soviet Union would try to hide nuclear tests on the far side of the Moon.

 

[russ_watters]

No.



.

Clarification: Answer to the question in the title: Yes. Answer to the question in the post: No.

 

[NowIsForever]

Will zero gravity effect the fission and fusion of the atoms making a chain reaction impossibile

The presence or absence of a gravitational potential field has virtually no effect on the progress of nuclear reactions, because the gravitational force is so many times weaker than nuclear forces that cause an explosion and the electrostatic forces that hold the device together.

 

[milford30]

chain reaction (fission) is dependent on the neutrons hitting the nucleus of the atoms then producing more neutrons, nothing 2 do with gravity...

chain reaction in fusion is dependent on high temperature (high kinetic energy) of the nucleus so they collide so hard that they fuse together... so also nothing 2 do with gravity...