en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fission-fragment_rocket
1 correction found
about 10x the next highest cross section across all known isotopes.
JAEA evaluated nuclear data do not support a 10× gap. They list Am-242m at 6.401 kb thermal fission cross section and Cf-251 at 4.939 kb, so Am-242m is only about 1.3× higher, not 10×.
Full reasoning
The first part of the sentence—that 242mAm has a very large thermal fission cross section—is broadly supported. The problem is the added claim that it is "about 10x the next highest" among known isotopes.
Evaluated JENDL-4.0 data from the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) give a 0.0253 eV fission cross section of 6.401 kb for Am-242m. The same JAEA database gives 4.939 kb for Cf-251. That means Am-242m is only about 1.30× Cf-251, not anywhere near 10×.
So the article substantially exaggerates how far Am-242m stands above the next-highest isotopes.
2 sources
- Cross Section Table (95-Am-242m)
JAEA JENDL-4.0 table lists the 0.0253-eV (thermal) fission cross section for Am-242m as 6.401 kb.
- Cross Section Table (98-Cf-251)
JAEA JENDL-4.0 table lists the 0.0253-eV (thermal) fission cross section for Cf-251 as 4.939 kb, which is close to Am-242m rather than ten times smaller.