Abstract
FROM chemical evidence, Hahn and Strassmann1 conclude that radioactive barium nuclei (atomic number Z = 56) are produced when uranium (Z = 92) is bombarded by neutrons. It has been pointed out2 that this might be explained as a result of a ‘fission’ of the uranium nucleus, similar to the division of a droplet into two. The energy liberated in such processes was estimated to be about 200 Mev., both from mass defect considerations and from the repulsion of the two nuclei resulting from the ‘fission’ process.
References
Hahn, O., and Strassmann, F., Naturwiss., 27, 11 (1939).
Meitner, L., and Frisch, O. R., NATURE [143, 239 (1939).
See Meitner, L., Strassmann, F., and Hahn, O., Z. Phys., 109, 538 (1938).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
FRISCH, O. Physical Evidence for the Division of Heavy Nuclei under Neutron Bombardment. Nature 143, 276 (1939). https://doi.org/10.1038/143276a0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/143276a0
This article is cited by
-
Laboratory Life Instead of Nuclear Weapons: A New Perspective on the German Uranium Club
Physics in Perspective (2022)
-
Story of fission
Resonance (2016)
-
Some aspects of fission and quasifission processes
Pramana (2015)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.
