The absolute abundances of fission-product xenon and krypton isotopes in six uranium minerals were determined mass spectrometrically using the isotope dilution technique. The fission products were resolved into a U spontaneous fission component, a U 235 neutron-induced fission component, and a U 238 neutron-induced fission component. The presence of U 238 of neutron-induced fission indicated that t he neutron energies in uranium minerals were higher than had been suspected. Internal consistency in the analysis was achieved only when the I 29 yield in u235 thermal neutron fission reported by Purkayastha and Martin was lowered by 20%. The number of U 238 spontaneous fissions was calculated from the lead age, U 238 content, and the U 238 pontaneous fission half life. A comparison of the number of fission products from U 238 spontaneous fission and the number of spontaneous fissions in each of the six minerals showed that five of the six minerals had lost large portions of their noble gases. A fractionation of krypton relative to xenon accompanied this loss. The results obtained for the sixth mineral indicated little or no loss of xenon and krypton. Absolute yields for U 238 spontaneous fission were therefore determined from an analysis of this mineral. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:mcmaster.ca/oai:macsphere.mcmaster.ca:11375/23514 |
| Date | 10 1900 |
| Creators | Young, Beverly George |
| Contributors | Thode, H. G., Physics |
| Source Sets | McMaster University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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