Kärnfragmentering

Kärnfragmentering, often translated as nuclear fragmentation, refers to the process where an atomic nucleus breaks apart into two or more smaller nuclei. This can occur through various mechanisms, including fission, spallation, and multifragmentation.

Nuclear fission is a well-known type of fragmentation, typically induced by neutron bombardment. In fission, a heavy nucleus absorbs a neutron, becoming unstable and splitting into two roughly equal-sized lighter nuclei, along with the release of several neutrons and a significant amount of energy. This process is the basis for nuclear power generation and atomic bombs.

Spallation is another form of fragmentation that occurs when a high-energy particle, such as a proton or another nucleus, collides with a target nucleus. Unlike fission, spallation usually results in the ejection of multiple nucleons (protons and neutrons) and possibly some small nuclear fragments from the target nucleus. This process is important in astrophysics and in particle accelerators for producing certain isotopes.

Multifragmentation is a more complex process observed at very high excitation energies of a nucleus. Instead of splitting into just two fragments, the nucleus breaks into many smaller pieces simultaneously. This phenomenon is studied in heavy-ion collisions at relativistic energies and provides insights into the behavior of nuclear matter under extreme conditions, including phase transitions. The study of nuclear fragmentation is crucial for understanding nuclear structure, the forces within the nucleus, and the behavior of matter under extreme conditions.