Nuclear binding-energy difference —drives→ Nuclear fission

Conditions

• for neutron-induced fission: a fissionable nuclide and an incident neutron in an energy range with non-zero fission cross-section
• critical geometry is required only for a self-sustaining chain reaction; a moderator is reactor-design dependent

Evidence · 2

1. [1]
   O. Hahn, F. Strassmann. Über den Nachweis und das Verhalten der bei der Bestrahlung des Urans mittels Neutronen entstehenden Erdalkalimetalle (1939)

   Naturwissenschaften 27, 11–15 · doi:10.1007/BF01488241 · crossref ✓ 2026-09-19 · record
2. [2]
   O. R. Frisch. Physical evidence for the division of heavy nuclei under neutron bombardment (1939)

   Nature 143, 276 · doi:10.1038/143276a0 · crossref ✓ 2026-09-19 · record

Matrix cells this relation feeds

D = disequilibrium row · C = coupling family column. A cell reads the state of the atlas for that pair.

Uses of this claim

• Nuclear fission steam plantcommercial · 7 steps
• Boiling-water reactor direct-steam plantcommercial · 7 steps
• PWR primary heat deliverycommercial · 5 steps

• Nuclear binding-energy difference → Nuclear fission → Temperature gradient → Thermal emission → Light4/4 established · extends a recorded pathway
• Nuclear binding-energy difference → Nuclear fission → Hot gas → Thermal emission → Light4/4 established · candidate
• Nuclear binding-energy difference → Nuclear fission → Temperature gradient → Alkali-metal thermal-to-electric conversion → Ionic current → Electrical work3/5 established · extends a recorded pathway
• Nuclear binding-energy difference → Nuclear fission → Temperature gradient → Ionic thermoelectric effect → Ionic current → Electrical work5/5 established · candidate
• Nuclear binding-energy difference → Nuclear fission → Temperature gradient → Marangoni effect → Mechanical motion → Mechanical work5/5 established · extends a recorded pathway
• Nuclear binding-energy difference → Nuclear fission → Temperature gradient → Thermal shape-memory effect → Mechanical motion → Mechanical work5/5 established · extends a recorded pathway
• Nuclear binding-energy difference → Nuclear fission → Temperature gradient → Thermochemical redox cycle → Chemical fuel (H₂, CO, syngas) → Chemical fuel5/5 established · candidate
• Nuclear binding-energy difference → Nuclear fission → Temperature gradient → Thermopolarization effect → Separated surface charge → Electrical work3/5 established · weakly supported
• Nuclear binding-energy difference → Nuclear fission → Temperature gradient → Thermopolarization effect → Separated surface charge → Electrical work3/5 established · weakly supported
• Nuclear binding-energy difference → Nuclear fission → Temperature gradient → Seebeck effect → Charge carriers → Electrical work5/5 established · extends a recorded pathway
• Nuclear binding-energy difference → Nuclear fission → Temperature gradient → Heat conduction → Heat flow → Useful heat5/5 established · extends a recorded pathway
• Nuclear binding-energy difference → Nuclear fission → Temperature gradient → Thermionic emission → Charge carriers → Electrical work5/5 established · extends a recorded pathway
• Nuclear binding-energy difference → Nuclear fission → Temperature gradient → Thermogalvanic effect → Ionic current → Electrical work5/5 established · extends a recorded pathway
• Nuclear binding-energy difference → Nuclear fission → Temperature gradient → Thermally regenerative electrochemical cycle → Ionic current → Electrical work3/5 established · extends a recorded pathway
• Nuclear binding-energy difference → Nuclear fission → Temperature gradient → Nernst effect → Charge carriers → Electrical work5/5 established · extends a recorded pathway
• Nuclear binding-energy difference → Nuclear fission → Temperature gradient → Anomalous Nernst effect → Charge carriers → Electrical work5/5 established · extends a recorded pathway
• Nuclear binding-energy difference → Nuclear fission → Temperature gradient → Working-fluid expansion (heat-engine cycle) → Mechanical motion → Mechanical work5/5 established · extends a recorded pathway
• Nuclear binding-energy difference → Nuclear fission → Temperature gradient → Ocean thermal energy conversion → Mechanical motion → Mechanical work3/5 established · candidate
• Nuclear binding-energy difference → Nuclear fission → Hot gas → Magnetohydrodynamic generation → Charge carriers → Electrical work4/5 established · candidate
• Nuclear binding-energy difference → Nuclear fission → Hot gas → Working-fluid expansion (heat-engine cycle) → Mechanical motion → Mechanical work5/5 established · extends a recorded pathway
• Nuclear binding-energy difference → Nuclear fission → Temperature gradient → Thermo-osmosis → Streaming potential → Ionic current → Electrical work5/6 established · extends a recorded pathway
• Nuclear binding-energy difference → Nuclear fission → Temperature gradient → Thermomagnetic convection → Electromagnetic induction → Charge carriers → Electrical work5/6 established · extends a recorded pathway
• Nuclear binding-energy difference → Nuclear fission → Temperature gradient → Soret effect → Concentration gradient → Chemiosmosis → Chemical fuel6/6 established · extends a recorded pathway
• Nuclear binding-energy difference → Nuclear fission → Temperature gradient → Thermal expansion → Mechanical stress or strain → Elastocaloric effect → Cooling5/6 established · candidate

all 71 routes are in /api/paths.json filtered by claims ∋ claim:binding-drives-fission

Notes

About 200 MeV per event, almost all as fragment kinetic energy (Frisch 1939); thermalisation is a separate step.

Cite this claim

Physical Transformation Atlas (2026). claim claim:binding-drives-fission: Nuclear binding-energy difference —drives→ Nuclear fission. Dataset revision rbfbfcbb70e57 (hash of the canonical data). https://physical-transformation-atlas.wldud5192.workers.dev/claim/binding-drives-fission

Ids and matrix addresses are stable across revisions; the revision hash identifies the exact canonical files the record was compiled from and is meta.data_hash in every /api export. Reuse terms: see the license field in any export.