Nickel-62 is an isotope of nickel having 28 protons and 34 neutrons. It is a stable isotope, with the highest binding energy per nucleon of any known nuclide (8.7945 MeV).
It is often stated that 56Fe is the "most stable nucleus", but actually 56Fe has the lowest mass per nucleon (not binding energy per nucleon) of all nuclides. The second and third most tightly bound nuclei are those of 58Fe and 56Fe, with binding energies per nucleon of 8.7922 MeV and 8.7903 MeV, respectively. As noted above, the isotope 56Fe has the lowest mass per nucleon of any nuclide, 930.412 MeV/c2, followed by 62Ni with 930.417 MeV/c2 and 60Ni with 930.420 MeV/c2. This is not a contradiction because 62Ni has a greater proportion of neutrons which are more massive than protons. If one looks only at the nuclei proper, without including the electron cloud, 56Fe has again the lowest mass per nucleon (930.175 MeV/c2), followed by 60Ni (930.181 MeV/c2) and 62Ni (930.187 MeV/c2). For example, the ash produce of Rossi’s reaction was 10% iron. When nickel is fashioned into iron and helium, binding energy is released. Helium has relatively far less binding energy than nickel. Since nickel 62 is at the top of the heap relative to binding energy, any transmutation of nickel will be energetically positive be it from fission or fusion. On Mon, Dec 16, 2013 at 4:31 PM, <mix...@bigpond.com> wrote: > In reply to Axil Axil's message of Sun, 15 Dec 2013 17:37:20 -0500: > Hi, > [snip] > > Photofission only happens in very heavy nuclei, and requires very energetic > photons (order 10 MeV) IOW gamma rays. > These are clearly not present in CF. > Furthermore, the fission reaction needs to be exothermic, which is only > true of > elements (usually much) heavier that Fe/Ni. > > The only other known way of obtaining the amount of trigger energy > required is > by adding at least one nucleon to the nucleus, as is done in conventional > fission. This usually adds something like 5-10 MeV per added nucleon. > > >When a nuclear reaction occurs in only even-even nuclei, the nuclear > >reaction is a result of photo fission. > > > >Remember, Rossi states at his reaction is centered on the Ni62 and Ni64 > >nickel isotopes. > > > >DGT states that all even isotopes of nickel react but Ni61 does not. This > >is a possible indication that a low spin nuclear reaction based on photo > >fission is occurring. > > > > > https://user.physics.unc.edu/research/nuclear/photonuclear_phys/photofission.php > > > > > > > >“The absorption of a photon by a heavy, even-even causes an excitation to > >an unstable, low-spin state. The states will subsequently undergo a > nuclear > >reaction or decay to reach a more stable configuration. One likely > reaction > >available to heavy nuclei is fission, the splitting of the original > nucleus > >into two distinct nuclei, also known as fragments. Fission occurs when the > >nuclear shape deforms to the point when the Coulomb repulsion overcomes > the > >nuclear surface tension; the nucleus is then unbound and splits into two > >nuclei, referred to as fragments.” > Regards, > > Robin van Spaandonk > > http://rvanspaa.freehostia.com/project.html > >
