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In nuclear physics and nuclear chemistry, nuclear fission is either a nuclear reaction or a radioactive decay process in which the nucleus of an atom splits into smaller parts (lighter nuclei). The fission process often produces free neutrons and photons (in the form of gamma rays), and releasing a very large amount of energy even by the energetic standards of radioactive decay.
Nuclear fission of heavy elements was discovered in 1938 by Lise Meitner, Otto Hahn, Fritz Strassmann, and Otto Robert Frisch. It was named by analogy with biological fission of living cells. It is an exothermic reaction which can release large amounts of energy both as electromagnetic radiation and as kinetic energy of the fragments (heating the bulk material where fission takes place). In order for fission to produce energy, the total binding energy of the resulting elements must be greater than that of the starting element.
"1. Specific energy loss is much greater due to large effective charge.
- Range is about half that of 5 MeV alpha particle.
- Specific energy loss decreases as the particle loses energy in the absorber. It is due to continuous loss of charge that begins at the start of fission fragments track.
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