--%>
Assignment Help - homework help

Why is heavy water employed as a moderator

Describe why is heavy water employed as a moderator? Illustrate.

E

Expert

Verified

Heavy water is highly enriched in the hydrogen isotope deuterium. We can evaluate the neutron interactions with billiard ball collision, where the neutron collides with nucleus of other atoms and lose energy. When the colliding nucleus size is small such as hydrogen nucleus it will lose the maximum energy. When nucleus is heavy, then the neutron hits the nucleus just alters its direction however not that much change in the energy of neutron. Therefore we use heavy water as moderator to slow down the neutrons.

   Related Questions in Physics

  • Q : Define Equivalence principle

    Equivalence principle: The fundamental postulate of Sir Einstein’s general theory of relativity that posits that acceleration is basically indistinguishable from the gravitational field. In another words, when you are in an elevator that is utte

    		•
  • Q : Law of Lamberts Cosine State the law of

    State the law of Lamberts Cosine? Describe briefly?

    		•
  • Q : Define Kirkwood gaps Kirkwood gaps

    Kirkwood gaps (Kirkwood): The gaps in the asteroid belt, caused by the resonance effects from Jupiter. Similar gaps are also exists in Saturn's rings, due to the resonance effects of the shepherd moons.

    		•
  • Q : Explain Ohms law Ohm's law (G. Ohm;

    Ohm's law (G. Ohm; 1827): The ratio of the potential difference among the ends of a conductor to the current flowing via it is constant; the constant of proportionality is termed as the resistance, and is distinct for different materials.

    		•
  • Q : State Hooke's law as it applies to a

    a 6.00 kg mass is situated at (-1.00, 3.00) meters, what is its mass moment of inertia: a)about the x-axis b)about the y-axis c)About a line defined by x=6.00 m The same object is hun

    		•
  • Q : Why is heavy water employed as a

    Describe why is heavy water employed as a moderator? Illustrate.

    		•
  • Q : Explain Michelson-Morley experiment

    Michelson-Morley experiment (A.A. Michelson, E.W. Morley; 1887): Probably the most famous null-experiment of all time, designed to confirm the existence of the proposed "lumeniferous aether" via which light waves were considered to pr

    		•
  • Q : Define Metre or SI unit of length Metre

    Metre: meter; m: The basic SI unit of length, stated as the length of the path traveled by light in vacuum throughout a period of 1/299 792 458 s.

    		•
  • Q : Explain Faradays law Faraday's law (M.

    Faraday's law (M. Faraday): The line integral of the electric field about a closed curve is proportional to the instant time rate of change of the magnetic flux via a surface bounded by that closed curve; in the differential form,

    		•
  • Q : Define Fermats principle Fermat's

    Fermat's principle: principle of least time (P. de Fermat): The principle, put onward by P. de Fermat that explains the path taken by a ray of light among any two points in a system is for all time the path which takes the least time.

    		•