Physics & fissionable nuclide

A fissionable nuclide is also called a fissile nuclide and has the ability to support and continue a “chain reaction” under conditions in which emitted neurons are “thermalized” so that the aped and velocity of these neurons is reduced before initiating ay kind of new fissions and reactions. The speed is controlled in relation to the temperatures of the environment in which they are placed.  An example of a fissionable nuclide is Pu-239 and a fissionable nuclide that is not fissile is Pu-238.

Nuclear-explosive nuclides are those nuclides which when present in “suitable quantity, purity, and geometry” have the capacity to initiate, maintain and carry on any kind of nuclear chain reaction in nuclear weapons. Nuclear-explosive nuclides support nuclear chain reactions with the help of “explosive release” of nuclear energy from a chain reaction which is initiated, supported and carried on by fissions which in turn are activated in the presence of fast neutrons having the “energy of thousands of electron-volts”.

All fissile nuclides are not nuclear explosive nuclides. Some nuclides are not fissile because they do not have the capacity and potential to continue and maintain a chain reaction. this is because, these nuclides do not have the properties to “thermalize” neutrons meaning that they do not have the potential to reduce and maintain the speed of the neutrons in a reaction in accordance with the temperature of the surroundings before actually starting a new chain reaction by initiating additional fissions. However, these nuclides are capable of supporting a chain reaction when present in suitable quantity, purity and geometry and are therefore nuclear-explosive but not fissile. Pu-238, Pu-240 and Pu-242 are not fissile but nuclear explosives.

Nuclear explosions can be achieved by releasing the nuclear energy of nuclides which have the potential to trigger and maintain a nuclear reaction. This is done by the triggering of the “fast” neutrons which have tremendous energy “of thousands of electron volts”. The chain of continuous reactions supported and maintained by nuclear explosive nuclides which are present in appropriate “quantity, purity and geometry” so that the link between reactions is maintained by reducing the speed of the neutrons to match the surrounding temperature and to trigger and support a new chain of reactions.

The fissile is a nuclide which functions to sustain the nuclear reaction in such a way that the neutrons emitted from the chain reaction are slowed according to the velocity of the surrounding, (theramlized) before initiating any further fissions. This mixture of nuclear-explosive nuclides and other nuclides (fissile) triggers and supports the chain reaction and causes a chain reaction which is termed as a nuclear explosion.

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