Yes if they have enough energy (see for example https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-74045-5). What you won't get with proton-induced fission is an explosion as the fission doesn't emit protons which can go on to cause further fissions so there's no chain reaction (unless you already have a critical mass for normal neutron-induced fission in which case it's going to explode even without the protons).
yeah, i think it's possible to split U-238 with fast protons. but the reproduction factor (how many new particles are emitted for every particle that you used to start the reaction) is smaller than 1, so it can't explode that way.
23 Comments
pulsewidth@lemmy.world · 36 pts · 273d
Why is this cropped and scrubbed so that we can't see who the original artist is?
salvaria@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 25 pts · 273d
Looks like the original source is @mushroommovie. The scrubbing seems to have removed a boredpanda watermark.
pulsewidth@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 272d
Thanks for that, they have a bunch of silly fun stuff on Giphy and found their original comics from your info.
https://giphy.com/mushroommovie
https://m.webtoons.com/en/canvas/silly-shroomans/positivity/viewer?title_no=45042&episode_no=839
kubofhromoslav@lemmy.world · 18 pts · 273d
That's the toxic positivity people are talking about!
zxqwas@lemmy.world · 18 pts · 273d
Can you cause fission with protons instead of neutrons?
gnutrino@programming.dev · 11 pts · 273d
Yes if they have enough energy (see for example https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-74045-5). What you won't get with proton-induced fission is an explosion as the fission doesn't emit protons which can go on to cause further fissions so there's no chain reaction (unless you already have a critical mass for normal neutron-induced fission in which case it's going to explode even without the protons).
Egonallanon@feddit.uk · 7 pts · 273d
If you're adding a proton wouldn't it be fusion? Which also releases a bucket load of energy.
SmoothOperator@lemmy.world · 17 pts · 273d
The largest amount of energy is released from fusing two hydrogens into helium. The atom in the comic looks much heavier than hydrogen.
Also a chain fusion reaction is required for an explosion. The comic just shows non-explosive ionisation.
ryannathans@aussie.zone · 7 pts · 273d
It looks like a heavy element so fusion would be net negative energy
zxqwas@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 273d
Possibly but the common fusions are using isotopes of H, He, Li with some amount of neutrons, not naked protons.
Heavier elements as the big blob is releases a lot less energy, and the really heavy ones are not exothermic.
Digit@lemmy.wtf · 7 pts · 273d
Maybe need an accompanying alternative version of the cartoon, "be more neutral".
marcos@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 272d
gandalf_der_12te@discuss.tchncs.de · 1 pts · 272d
yeah, i think it's possible to split U-238 with fast protons. but the reproduction factor (how many new particles are emitted for every particle that you used to start the reaction) is smaller than 1, so it can't explode that way.
PM_ME_VINTAGE_30S@lemmy.sdf.org · 15 pts · 273d
So mushrooms are made of atoms...but then if a mushroom feeds an atom a proton, the atom grows into a bigger, stronger mushroom 🤔
petersr@lemmy.world · 16 pts · 273d
And in classical enriched uranium fission, atoms would be "fed" neutrons, not protons. So nothing makes sense.
OpenStars@piefed.social · 4 pts · 273d
I wonder how powerful Mario would get if he took that mushroom (cloud)?
crawancon@piefed.social · 3 pts · 272d
well sprouting a raccoon tail, turning into a statue, or shooting fireballs out of his hands could support this ...mushroom theory of yours .
OpenStars@piefed.social · 3 pts · 272d
- image source
webp@mander.xyz · 3 pts · 273d
Science is fascinating.
Krudler@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 272d
That's not how nuclear fission works.
hOrni@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 273d
So to make a nuclear bomb, all we need are some atoms and mushrooms. Got it, will try later.
general_kitten@sopuli.xyz · 6 pts · 273d
dont forget the surplus proton
Admetus@sopuli.xyz · 6 pts · 273d
I thought a heavy nucleus needs an extra neutron for it to go poot.
Digit@lemmy.wtf · 2 pts · 273d
And the positivity ninnies will still try to spin that as something positive.