A fission chamber sits in a thermal neutron population of density , Maxwellian at

PHYSICS · Subjective · Fermi University Physics · Nuclear Physics · Nuclear reactions · Nuclear reactions

The Nucleus Resolved, Ch Neutrons: the reagent with no barrier

Problem

^{235}\mathrm{U}

fission chamber sits in a thermal neutron population of density

n = 2.0\times10^{7}\,\mathrm{cm^{-3}}

, Maxwellian at

T = 350\,\mathrm{K}

. The tabulated fission cross section at

v_0 = 2200\,\mathrm{m\,s^{-1}}

\sigma_0 = 585\,\mathrm{b}

, and because

^{235}\mathrm{U}

fission is not exactly a

1/v

reaction its Westcott factor at this temperature is

g(350\,\mathrm{K}) = 0.968

. Find the fission rate per

^{235}\mathrm{U}

nucleus.