Xenon-135 is produced in a reactor primarily by which mechanisms?

Xenon-135 is produced in a reactor primarily by which mechanisms?

• A. Radioactive decay from I-135 and radiative capture
• B. Direct fission of Xe-135
• C. Neutron activation of Xe-134
• D. Fusion of Xe isotopes

Answer: (A)

Xenon-135 in a reactor comes from two main paths. First, iodine-135, produced as a fission product, beta decays to xenon-135 with a half-life of about 6.6 hours, so Xe-135 builds up as I-135 decays. Second, xenon-134 can capture a neutron and become xenon-135 (neutron capture). These two mechanisms together account for the majority of Xe-135 produced during operation. The other options aren’t the primary production routes: direct fission of xenon-135 is not a typical production path, and fusion of xenon isotopes doesn’t occur in a reactor environment.

Xenon-135 in a reactor comes from two main paths. First, iodine-135, produced as a fission product, beta decays to xenon-135 with a half-life of about 6.6 hours, so Xe-135 builds up as I-135 decays. Second, xenon-134 can capture a neutron and become xenon-135 (neutron capture). These two mechanisms together account for the majority of Xe-135 produced during operation. The other options aren’t the primary production routes: direct fission of xenon-135 is not a typical production path, and fusion of xenon isotopes doesn’t occur in a reactor environment.