Fermi’s original reactor was just “barely” critical because the natural uranium that he used contained less than 1% of the fissionable isotope U-235 (half-life 713 million years). What if, in 1942, Earth had been 9 billion years old instead of 4.5 billion years old. Would Fermi have been able to make a reactor go critical with natural uranium?
Fermi’s original reactor was just “barely” critical because the natural uranium that he used contained less than 1% of the fissionable isotope U-235 (half-life 713 million years). What if, in 1942, Earth had been 9 billion years old instead of 4.5 billion years old. Would Fermi have been able to make a reactor go critical with natural uranium?
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Fermi’s original reactor was just “barely” critical because the natural uranium that he used contained less than 1% of the fissionable isotope U-235 (half-life 713 million years). What if, in 1942, Earth had been 9 billion years old instead of 4.5 billion years old. Would Fermi have been able to make a reactor go critical with natural uranium?
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