Abstract

On the basis of the liquid drop model of atomic nuclei, an account is given of the mechanism of nuclear fission. In particular, conclusions are drawn regarding the variation from nucleus to nucleus of the critical energy required for fission, and regarding the dependence of fission cross section for a given nucleus on energy of the exciting agency. A detailed discussion of the observations is presented on the basis of the theoretical considerations. Theory and experiment fit together in a reasonable way to give a satisfactory picture of nuclear fission.

Keywords

FissionSemi-empirical mass formulaNuclear fissionPhysicsNuclear physicsNucleusCluster decayMechanism (biology)Basis (linear algebra)Cold fissionNuclear reactionNeutron emissionNeutronQuantum mechanics

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1939 Physical Review 3701 citations

Publication Info

Year
1939
Type
article
Volume
56
Issue
5
Pages
426-450
Citations
1922
Access
Closed

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Niels Bohr, John Wheeler (1939). The Mechanism of Nuclear Fission. Physical Review , 56 (5) , 426-450. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrev.56.426

Identifiers

DOI
10.1103/physrev.56.426