The reaction which take place in the nucleus of an atom is called as n...
Nuclear reactions:-
Sometimes atoms aren’t happy just being themselves; they suddenly change into completely different atoms, without any warning. This mysterious transformation of one type of element into another is the basis of nuclear reactions, which cause one nucleus to change into a different nucleus. Just like chemical reactions cause compounds to turn into other compounds by swapping their electrons, nuclear reactions happen when the number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus of an atom change.
A nuclear reaction take place:-
By being bombarded with neutrons, nuclei with heavy atoms can be divided into several fragments formed by nuclei with lighter atoms, with neutron emission and a large release of energy. This type of nuclear reaction is called “nuclear fission reaction”. The fission reactions that take place in nuclear reactors are produced with heavy atom nuclei (U, Pu, Th…).
Other neutron-induced nuclear reactions are:
Elastic dispersion:- where the neutron collides elastically with a nucleus, losing part of its energy. The higher the mass number of the nucleus it collides with, the lower its energy loss.
Inelastic dispersion:- produced by high energy neutrons with heavy element nuclei, radiating capture (when the neutron is absorbed by the nucleus it collides with). The probability of this happening is indirectly proportional to the neutron's energy.
Elastic dispersion plays a fundamental role in moderating the energy in neutrons necessary to increase the number of fissions in certain reactors. Similarly, the radiating capture allows the generation of new fissionable isotopes.