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In nuclear engineering, a critical mass is the smallest amount of fissile material needed for a sustained nuclear chain reaction. The critical mass of a fissionable material depends upon its nuclear properties (specifically, its nuclear fission cross-section), density, shape, enrichment, purity, temperature, and
Jan 20, 2024 · The meaning of CRITICAL MASS is a size, number, or amount large enough to produce a particular result. How to use critical mass in a sentence.
critical mass, in nuclear physics, the minimum amount of a given fissile material necessary to achieve a self-sustaining fission chain reaction under stated conditions. Its size depends on several factors, including the kind of fissile material used, its concentration and purity, and the composition and geometry of the surrounding reaction system.
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Jan 12, 2012 · Matthew Bunn, Associate Professor at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, talks about how nuclear weapons work.
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the size or number that something needs to reach before a particular change or development can happen: They believe that they have achieved critical mass, that is a size that is necessary for the company to survive. The challenge is to attract a critical mass of customers that will enable the business to start making a profit.
Jan 3, 2021 · The concept of critical mass involves two competing effects. As nuclei fission, they emit secondary neutrons. A fundamental empirical law of nuclear physics, derived in Sect. 2.1, shows that while some neutrons will cause other fissions, the remainder will reach the surface of the mass and escape.
Jun 26, 2023 · The amount of a fissionable material that will support a self-sustaining chain reaction is a critical mass. In order to determine critical mass required for a nuclear chain reaction, Enrico Fermi and Leo Szilard constructed the world's first controlled fission experiment.
