Fission is not a decay process. It is a destruction process. The atom is truly fractured into, mostly, nearly equal sized masses. The neutrons are uncoupled from the mass and not primarily emitted, (at least there is no hard evidence that the atom splits because a neutron needs out). Decay simply steps and atom down a notch or two, It never disrupts the entire nucleus. Decay has a predicatble parent and daughters. Fission can literally wind up as two of anything in the periodic table.
This is why I specifically stated neutrons are not emitted in the DECAY process of any natural element. There are no natural neutron sources in the sense of alpha, beta or gamma emitters. Atoms demand a catastrophic energy event to give off a neutron. They are never seen unless matter is being assembled or destroyed through collision or fracturing.
They are most jealously guarded by nature. She went to too much trouble to make them. I have for years held and still hold the belief that neutrons are the nuclear glue and that there is no strong fource. I do not swallow, in wholeform, all that modern physics preaches.
Richard Hull |
2003-01-16 11:30 FAQ - NEUTRON SAFETY (Richard Hull) [Latest: 2007-03-26 11:02]
2003-02-24 10:41 Re: FAQ - NEUTRON SAFETY (Richard Hull)
(Carl Willis)