Nuclear Fission and the Nuclear Chain Reaction

Abstract

Following the discovery of the neutron, detailed measurements of the effect of bombarding elements with neutrons were carried out, notably by Enrico Fermi and his collaborators in Rome. Among the large number of elements investigated was the heaviest naturally occurring element, uranium. As with many of the other elements, the bombardment of uranium led to the production of induced β activity. At least four different β-active isotopes, of different half-lives and disintegration energies, were detected.