Cold fission

Cold fission or cold nuclear fission occurs at temperatures much lower than those required for traditional nuclear fission. In traditional nuclear fission, atoms are split by bombarding them with high-energy neutrons. Cold fission, on the other hand, is triggered by low-energy neutrons or even by protons, in a process known as proton-induced fission. At very low temperatures, the nuclei of atoms are less tightly bound, making them more susceptible to being split by low-energy particles.

Potential applications are nuclear medicine, the production of isotopes for industrial and research purposes, or nuclear reactors with high efficiency and low maintenance and low energy input.

See also:

Cold fusion