Tagged Questions
-3
votes
0answers
39 views
How long would it typically take to develope nuclear weapons these days? [closed]
This question is a bit related to politics.SE too.
These days there's a lot of concern about development of nuclear weapons in countries that are believed by United States to support terrorism.
As ...
-4
votes
0answers
28 views
Approximately how much would a LFTR cost? [closed]
Would anyone happen to know how a LFTR costs?
Please could you include the efficiency and payback time.
3
votes
1answer
37 views
Containement system of a nuclear reactor: role of the water moderator
In a modern nuclear reactor for example a PWR there are multiple containment systems which prevent the release of radioactive material into the environment and shield the environment from the ...
0
votes
1answer
37 views
Speed of neutrons in a nuclear reactor
How fast (in $\frac{\mathrm{m}}{\mathrm{s}}$) are typical neutrons before and after slowing down in a nuclear reactor (with U-235 and $H_2O$ as moderator)? Do you have any reference for the values?
2
votes
1answer
58 views
Why is the total interaction cross section larger for incident particles with lower energy?
The cross section of a nuclear interaction is a measurement of the probability of that interaction occuring. These probabilities are typically presented in terms of barns ($10^{-28}$ m$^2$) as a ...
0
votes
2answers
67 views
Nuclear based wireless power?
I would like to ask if there is any Nuclear process which can be used to produce a wireless power ?
Is there any nuclear process can be radiate to the environment with no harm to human beings?
...
0
votes
0answers
32 views
What is this underground nuke test name and params? [closed]
Here is a famous video of an underground nuclear test:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1f6vbiuUt0
What are its characteristics?
2
votes
2answers
212 views
Water-cooled fast neutron reactors
Can anyone explain why fast neutron reactor designs use sodium/lead/salt cooling, instead of water (heavy/light)?
Is that because neutron absorption by water would not allow to break even in fuel ...
-2
votes
1answer
84 views
What do we do with the byproducts of Nuclear Fusion? [closed]
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_byproducts_of_nuclear_fusion
So I quickly googled the byproducts of fusion and got the above link.
It looks to me that you'll be left with He atoms. So what ...
1
vote
0answers
49 views
Properties of spilled spent nuclear fuel pellets
Can someone please explain to me the physics of a pile of spilled nuclear fuel pellets on the floor of a spent fuel pool? Specifically, what can we expect in terms of heat and radioactivity releases, ...
0
votes
1answer
91 views
Direct nuclear reaction in nuclear physics
Time taken to occur a direct nuclear reaction is very low $10^{-22}$sec . I want to know the Importance of direct nuclear reactions.
3
votes
1answer
58 views
The synthesis of $^{254}\text{No}$
How is $^{254}\text{No}$ synthesised?
Could you explain the reaction where it is preceded by $^{208}\text{Pb}(^{48}\text{Ca}, 2\text{n})$?
References to articles are well enough—I was somehow unable ...
1
vote
1answer
104 views
Is there a good summary of all nuclear fusion approaches?
I am pretty sure, that during last 60 years of well-funded research a lot of ideas on nuclear fusion were already tried and ruled out.
Is there some summary describing all of them and why they ...
-1
votes
4answers
216 views
Which part of making an atomic bomb is the hard part and how many people know how to do that? [closed]
I mean which part of the process of making an Atomic bomb is the hard and how many people know how to do that on Earth. Is it in hundreds or less i.e. 20 - 50 people or even less?
Don't get me wrong ...
1
vote
1answer
127 views
How does the curiosity rover get it's power? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Mars Curiosity Power System
I found a web page that said it uses Plutonium. I am sure it's not based on fusion or fission. What is the basic idea on which the power ...
5
votes
1answer
230 views
Nuclear fuel pellets - when does the chain reaction start?
Questions about nuclear fuel:
Does nuclear chain reaction start in fuel pellets even before they being installed in reactor? If not, why not? My understanding is that since the fuel pellets are ...
4
votes
0answers
181 views
Is there a sound theoretical argument against inner-shell induced nuclear chain reactions?
There is a claim often made about cold fusion, that it is excluded theoretically. The main theoretical argument is that electronic energies are too low to overcome the Coulomb barrier, since d-d ...
1
vote
2answers
66 views
critical density to create macroscopic nuggets of nuclear matter
Is there a critical size that an hydrogen bomb detonation needs to have in order to produce neutron-degenerated matter?
Does anyone knows if matter in this state would be stable at ambient ...
2
votes
1answer
59 views
Boiling water reactor
What are the typical power densities in conventional boiling water nuclear reactor per cubic centimeter of fission material?
2
votes
2answers
593 views
Nuclear reactor control rods
What is the relation between control rods surface exposed into a nuclear reactor and neutron energy? Is it linear? I mean, how do neutron absorbing rate change with the progressive immersion of ...
1
vote
2answers
368 views
Russian Doll Teller Ulam?
Can you trigger a thermonuclear explosion from a smaller thermonuclear explosion in a scaling way, so that starting from a small laser ignited fusion within a small fissile container, using the X-rays ...
32
votes
8answers
7k views
What practical issues remain for the adoption of Thorium reactors?
From what I've read on thorium reactors, there's enormous benefit to them. Their fuel is abundant enough to power human civilization for centuries, their fission products are relatively short-lived, ...
0
votes
0answers
90 views
Fukushima Nuclear Plant Running? [closed]
If there had been no tsunami would the Japanese Fukushima nuclear plants be operating today?
1
vote
2answers
206 views
Is it viable to convert nuclear waste into safe isotopes?
I read that powerful pulsed lasers can change isotopes:
J. Magill, et. al.: "Laser transmutation of iodine-129".
Did anyone estimate what would be the energy costs to transmutate 1 kg of fission ...
2
votes
3answers
381 views
Nuclear physics problem, Why do we use high weight atomic elements?
So as far as I know, nuclear fission uses high weight atomic elements to manufacture power. If the risk of runaway reactions are a major reason for not expanding this technology, why don't we use ...
0
votes
3answers
2k views
Why build nuclear reactors on shorelines?
While not directly a physics question, I can't think of forum better capable of answering my question.
In discussions over Japan's nuclear reactor situation the observation was made that reactors ...
8
votes
6answers
1k views
Why does nuclear fuel not form a critical mass in the course of a meltdown?
A BWR reactor core may contain up to 146 tons of uranium. Why does it not form a critical mass when molten? Are there any estimates of the critical mass of the resulting zirconium alloy, steel, ...
0
votes
1answer
715 views
Conceptual problems in nuclear physics for students?
Is there any good reference for conceptual problems for students which learn nuclear physics first time? I am not searching problems that involve difficult calculations. Quite the converse, they ...
2
votes
2answers
436 views
If there is a meltdown at the Fukushima reactors, would the control rods melt also?
According to the reports, the shutdown procedures at all the Fukushima reactors were successful, and all the control rods were fully inserted.
So - if there was a meltdown, would the control rods ...
2
votes
2answers
305 views
How much radiation exposure in the US was caused by the 105 nuke tests in the Pacific?
Between 1947 and 1962 the US conducted 105 tests of nuclear weapons in the "Pacific Proving Grounds". I'm wondering how much radiation exposure resulted on the west coast of the US. These were part of ...
3
votes
10answers
1k views
Can a nuclear reactor meltdown be contained with molten lead?
If lead can absorb or block radiation, would it be possible to pump molten lead into a reactor core which is melting, so that it would eventually cool and contain the radiation?
Is there something ...
3
votes
1answer
182 views
How is it possible to calculate the energy liberated by a given fission process?
How is it possible to calculate the energy liberated by a given fission process? For example, in the fission of a $^{235}$U induced by capturing a neutron?
