Re:First contact made with melted nuclear fuel at Fukushima ...
by pfdietz on Saturday February 16, 2019 @08:53AM
(#19178543)
No, elastic means an encounter where kinetic energy is conserved, rather than being converted to some other form of energy.
THe neutron/nucleus collisions in a moderator are largely elastic. The total kinetic energy of the neutron and the nucleus is conserved, although kinetic energy is transfered from the neutron to the nucleus.
An inelastic collision would involve (for example) nuclear excitation of the target nucleus, or ejection of particles from the target nucleus. The neutrons from fission are usually too low in energy for this to be very likely, though.
THe neutron/nucleus collisions in a moderator are largely elastic. The total kinetic energy of the neutron and the nucleus is conserved, although kinetic energy is transfered from the neutron to the nucleus.
An inelastic collision would involve (for example) nuclear excitation of the target nucleus, or ejection of particles from the target nucleus. The neutrons from fission are usually too low in energy for this to be very likely, though.