Does Nuclear Fission create plasma?

Question

That's pretty much it. I just want to know if Nuclear Fission creates plasma. I know for a fact fusion does, but I don't believe fission does as well. I'd also like an explanation on why it does or does not, please.

Answer 1

Hi Liam M.,

It's more a question of the "other direction" in your question. You can't perform nuclear fusion without extremely high temperatures being present to allow the respective nuclei to collide. It's true that great energy is released, but there already WAS the plasma condition there. The subsequent plasma ball ("fireball") is of considerable size, since all that energy must be dissipated into heating air molecules.

On the other hand, nuclear fission, since it originates from inherent instability of the particular nucleus, it's going to take place (eventually!) no matter what the bulk state of the matter is. Radioactive element ores, for example, are just sitting there (as they have for the last several billion years?) at whatever ambient temperature they are at. Now, if you trigger a fission bomb, the energy release is sufficient to generate plasma in the products (and a bit of surrounding atmosphere). But the fission generated the plasma conditions, not the reverse causation! The condition of plasma does nothing useful to accelerate the fission reaction; that's caused by individual neutrons flying about. If the plutonium nuclei aren't flying about, it isn't a plasma. And, if they were in some way inertially contained until ALL the plutonium, etc. were done reacting, you might boost your weapon yield. Easier said than done, however!

-- Cheers, --Mr. d.