Questions tagged [fission]
For nuclear reactions involving the splitting of elements such as Uranium or Plutonium, generally for the purpose of generating power or weaponry. Subclass of the [nuclear] tag, not to be confused with [fusion]
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What are the best places in the solar system to mine for fission fuel?
Aliens show up in a generation ship. They don't particularly care about living on a planet specifically, and they don't have any interest in conquering Earth for our land or our water or our ...
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In this alternate history, what great 19th century mind would most likely create the first nuclear powered engine?
I’m bringing nuclear power to the 19th century and need to know who had the tools and connections to become the 19th century “Father of nuclear power.”
Background: The Real World
Raw, unenriched ...
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Biological Nuclear Fission/Fusion [duplicate]
Ignoring the way such a creature may evolve, is there a possibility of a living creature, using Nuclear Fission/Fusion to create energy (and preferably use this energy to support itself).
The smaller ...
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Reasonableness of Micropiles
In a few of Isaac Asimov's stories, including The Martian Way, he uses water as a reaction mass to provide sub-light travel, and he mentions that the water is heated using "micropiles".
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Why would a nuclear powered spaceship needs to wait a few days before restarting the reactor engine?
Set some 50 years in the future, every spaceship in space is powered by a nuclear powered reactor and most of them came equipped with an ion propulsion engine for acceleration. I noticed that every ...
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Why don't ejectable fission reactors proliferate if meltdown is still a concern?
Set in the not-so-distant future, interplanetary travels are the norm. Most spaceships are powered by fission reactors, and accidents do happen due to negligence or flaws in the system. It will ...
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Is it possible for a creature to exist as a biological nuclear reactor?
This is somewhat different to this question on the possibility of biological fusion reactors as I am curious if a living FISSION reactor is more plausible.
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What could cause a spike in the natural uranium depletion rate?
What is a possible event${^*}$ that would cause a spike in the speed of $^{235}$U fission and reduce its average concentration in ore worldwide?
As I understand the physics of the process, it is ...
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Can a fission satellite duplicate the radiance frequencies of a star?
I sometimes think about the arrogant dwarf starsmiths in the question.
How to blow up a star by accident?
I pose the question in the voice of the dwarf, probably because I am hungry for down votes.
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Why would Fission be used in a world where Fusion reactors exist?
In my world, all terrestrial bodies in the solar-system of over 900 km size have a significant human presence. Earth-moon Travel is as common as an interstate road trip, and Interplanetary travel is ...
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