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[–]KyJoCaThe2nd0 points
1 point
1 point
(+1|-0)
ago
(edited ago)
Enrichment refers to the percentage of U-235, the thermal fuel that most reactors (as well as warheads) use. Uranium is radioactive, but as long as it's not irradiated, or exposed to a neutron flux, it's perfectly safe to handle without taking any radiation concerns.
Both U-235 (the isotope that is found naturally as 0.72% of all Uranium) and U-238 (the isotope that is naturally 99.284% of all Uranium) decay by emitting alpha particles, which are really just really energetic Helium nuclei. Alpha emitters are not dangerous when present outside the body. In fact, this website lists several examples of containers that would safely transport the sample in this video. ;)
The real difference between U-235 and U-238 is how easy it is to make it fission. U-235 really loves to fission when it absorbs a neutron, releasing a lot of energy and creating a long chain of radioactive decays (both in number of elements involved and the length of time required to reach stability). U-238 really loves to just eat the neutron and become U-239, which will ultimately become Plutonium, again an alpha emitter, but one that loves to fission.
Both reactors and warheads work on similar principles. You need a certain amount of fuel, in a certain arrangement, in the presence of a certain amount of neutrons to make it hot (and then it becomes incredibly dangerous to be around for quite a while).
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[–] KyJoCaThe2nd 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago (edited ago)
Enrichment refers to the percentage of U-235, the thermal fuel that most reactors (as well as warheads) use. Uranium is radioactive, but as long as it's not irradiated, or exposed to a neutron flux, it's perfectly safe to handle without taking any radiation concerns.
Both U-235 (the isotope that is found naturally as 0.72% of all Uranium) and U-238 (the isotope that is naturally 99.284% of all Uranium) decay by emitting alpha particles, which are really just really energetic Helium nuclei. Alpha emitters are not dangerous when present outside the body. In fact, this website lists several examples of containers that would safely transport the sample in this video. ;)
The real difference between U-235 and U-238 is how easy it is to make it fission. U-235 really loves to fission when it absorbs a neutron, releasing a lot of energy and creating a long chain of radioactive decays (both in number of elements involved and the length of time required to reach stability). U-238 really loves to just eat the neutron and become U-239, which will ultimately become Plutonium, again an alpha emitter, but one that loves to fission.
Both reactors and warheads work on similar principles. You need a certain amount of fuel, in a certain arrangement, in the presence of a certain amount of neutrons to make it hot (and then it becomes incredibly dangerous to be around for quite a while).
[–] 01011011101101 ago
Just by description, what would U-235 look like in a cloud chamber?
[–] KyJoCaThe2nd ago
More or less the same. Maybe more active due to the (relatively) shorter half-life.