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To: Zeev Hed who wrote (36482)	7/4/1999 10:46:00 AM
From: Casaubon	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 116756

nope, I meant fission. By the way, the physics of fission (spliting of large nuclides into smaller nuclides is not so much a "temperature" process it is more a destabilization of heavy nuclides by injecting a smaller nuclide (like a neutron) the increase in temperature, in this instance, was the destabilizing force on the nucleus. The injection of high energy particles (such as an accelerated neutron, as you state) into fissile material, merely acts as an initiator in a chain reaction. For instance, U238 will spontaneously undergo fission, if you have enough mass. In this case, the nuclear dissintegrations occur at a pace rapid enough that the fissing nuclei, generate a high concentration of high energy subatomic particles which then collide with other nearby nuclei and propagate the reaction. If too many high energy particles escape the reaction cools off and the chain reaction is interrupted. This is why critical mass is required to have a chain reaction fission bomb. It also why we can control the energy released from a nuclear reactor. By limiting the number of collisions, we can control the rate of fission, and harness the result release of energy. I don't understand you statement that temperature is metaphysics. Sorry.