Nuclear Energetics The energy stored in atomic nuclei is more than a million times greater than that from

chemical reactions and is a driving force in the evolution of our Universe. The energy radiated by our Sun is the consequence of nuclear reactions that occur in its core. One of the greatest hopes for clean, abundant energy in the future is in the nuclear fusion reactor, which utilizes similar reactions to produce electrical energy. The elements that make up our terrestial environment are the products of nuclear reactions generated during the phases of Stellar Evolution. One of these elements, 235U, is the fuel for nuclear power reactors. And miniature power sources used in many remote-sensing devices operate with the energy provided by radioactive decay. The goal of the present section is to define the energetic terms necessary to discuss nuclear phenomena, especially the factors that govern nuclear stability. Not all combinations of protons and neutrons are able to form a unique nucleus, just as all combinations of atoms do not necessarily form stable compounds; e.g. two He atoms do not form He2. A central theme of this chapter is to provide the basis for answering the question: why do some neutron/proton combinations exist and others do not? The answer lies in nuclear energetics.

In discussing chemical stability the concept of electron binding energies plays a central role. Neon and sodium are adjacent elements in the Periodic Table, yet neon is a very stable inert gas while sodium is a highly reactive metal. This dramatic difference in behavior is directly related to the high binding energies of the valence electrons in neon compared to the low binding energy for the outermost electron in sodium. Briefly stated, high binding energies favor stability and low binding energies instability. As a general definition, BINDING ENERGY is the mass converted into energy that binds a system together. This applies to both chemical and nuclear systems. In chemistry the mass change is so small that we dont think of it in E = Mc2 terms. However, for nuclei, mass to energy conversion is a measurable quantity. Some examples of systems where mass is converted into binding energy are, M( nucleus ) < ( Z Mp + N Mn ) M( atom ) < M ( nucleus ) + Z Me M( molecule) < In each case the difference in mass is the binding energy.

Binding Energy

Nuclear Binding Energies

The key concept behind the release of energy in

fusion (and fission) reactions is binding energy. Binding energy is the energy that is lost when a nucleus is created from protons and neutrons. If you added up the total mass of the nucleons (protons and neutrons) that compose an atom, you would notice that this sum is less than the actual mass of the atom. This missing mass, called the mass defect, is a measure of the atom's binding energy. It is released during the formation of a nucleus from the composing nucleons. This energy would have to be put back into the nucleus in order to decompose it into its individual nucleons. The greater the binding energy per nucleon in the atom, the greater the atom's stability. To calculate the binding energy of a nucleus, all you have to do is sum the mass of the individual nucleons, and then subtract the mass of the atom itself. The mass leftover is then converted into its energy equivalent. The relation between mass and energy is shown in Einstein's famous equation E 2 = mc . However, we will just multiply the mass by a conversion factor to have the units of energy in millions of electron volts (MeV), a standard unit of energy in nuclear physics. Therefore, the equation for binding energy that you can use later is: Eb = (Z mH + N mn - misotope) 931.5 MeV/amu Eb = binding energy, in MeV Z = number of protons mH = mass of a hydrogen atom (1.007825 atomic mass units, or amu) N = number of neutrons mn = mass of a neutron (1.008664904 amu) misotope = actual mass of the isotope 931.5 Mev/amu = the conversion factor to convert mass into energy, in units of MeV Nuclear reaction In nuclear physics, a nuclear reaction is a process in which two nuclei or nuclear particles collide, to produce different products than the initial particles. In principle a reaction can involve more than two particles colliding, but such an event is exceptionally rare. If the particles collide and separate without changing, the process is called an elastic collision rather than a reaction.

A nuclear reaction can be represented by an equation similar to a chemical equation, and balanced in an analogous manner.

For the complete equation of nuclear reaction, it must include the change in energy of in the

thereaction also.

The energy change

nuclear reaction is represented by Q. Hence the Rutherfords Transmutation reaction would be mentioned completely as follows:
7N 14

+ 2He -> 8O

17

+ 1H + Q

Where Q is known as Nuclear reaction energy. The value of Q depends on the type of reaction. If the reaction is exoergic i.e. Energy is released then the value of Q will be positive. On the other hand if the reaction is endoergic i.e.Energy is absorbed then the value of Q will be negative. The value of Q can be calculated from the masses of the products and reactants of

theequation. Hence Sum of the masses of reactants = 14.0031 + 4.0026 = 18.0057 a.m.u.

Sum of the masses of products = 16.9991 + 1.0078 = 18.0069 a.m.u.

Therefore, M = Sum of the masses of products Sum of the masses of reactants = 18.0069 18.0057 = + 0.002 a.m.u. As the above reaction involves increase of mass by 0.002 a.m.u. hence equivalent amount

ofenergy is being absorbed. Therefore the value of Q is negative as the reaction is endoergic. Since 1 a.m.u. 931.5 MeV a.m.u. -1.118 of energy x 931.5 MeV

The value of Q will be therefore Positive i.e. Q = + 0.01864 a.m.u. X 931.5 MeV/a.m.u = + 17.36 Hence the above reaction is exoergic. MeV

Therefore, MeV/a.m.u.

Q=-0.0012 =

The Q-value Denition of the Q-value: the amount by which the sum of the rest mass energies of the initial participants of a nuclear reaction exceeds the sum of the rest mass energies of all the products of the reaction.

Hence the reaction is endoergic.

Calculate Q-Value of the following nuclear reaction

7 3Li

+ 1H > 22He

Check whether the reaction is exoergic or endoergic The value of Q can be calculated from the masses of the products and reactants of

X(a; b)Y Q = [(MX +Ma)(MY

theequation. The exact mass of 3Li isotope = 7.01601 a.m.u. and that of 1H =
4 1 7

+Mb )] c 2 exothermic reaction : Q > 0 endothermic reaction: Q < 0

1.00738

a.m.u.

The exact mass of 2He = 4.00260 a.m.u. Where, a.m.u. is Atomic Mass Unit. Hence Sum of the masses of reactants = 7.01601 + 1.00738 = 8.02384 a.m.u.

In principle a exothermic reaction is possible even if the incident particles have no kinetic energy!

Sum of the masses of products = 2 X 4.00260 = 8.00520 a.m.u.

Therefore, M = Sum of the masses of products Sum of the masses of reactants = 8.00520 8.02384 = 0.01864 a.m.u. As there is decrease of mass, hence energy is being released.