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Specialty Chemistry Forums => Nuclear Chemistry and Radiochemistry Forum => Topic started by: wereworm73 on July 12, 2009, 06:27:48 PM

Title: Fusion with Gd-157, Xe-135 & Cd-113
Post by: wereworm73 on July 12, 2009, 06:27:48 PM

I was wondering...since Gd-157, Xe-135 & Cd-113 have high neutron capture cross-sections, wouldn't they also capture whole nuclei--and fuse--more readily than other atoms ?  If this is the case, then maybe we could get better yields of the superheavy elements... 

Title: Re: Fusion with Gd-157, Xe-135 & Cd-113
Post by: gippgig on July 12, 2009, 09:39:11 PM

Thermal neutron capture is a low energy process that is very different from high energy heavy ion reactions (that have to overcome the coulomb repulsion of the positively charged projectile & target nucleus). There is no reason for the cross-sections to be related. In fact, even thermal neutron capture & fast neutron capture cross-sections are different.