From World War II to the present day, nuclear power has remained a controversial topic in the public eye. In the wake of ongoing debates about energy and the environment, policymakers and laypeople alike are once more asking the questions posed by countless others over the decades: What actually happens in a nuclear power plant? Can we truly trust nuclear energy to be safe and reliable? Where does all that radiation and waste go?
This book explains everything you would want to know about nuclear power in a compelling and accessible way. Split into three parts, it walks readers through the basics of nuclear physics and radioactivity; the history of nuclear power usage, including the most important events and disasters; the science and engineering behind nuclear power plants; the politics and policies of various nations; and finally, the long-term societal impact of such technology, from uranium mining and proliferation to final disposal.
Featured along the way are dozens of behind-the-scenes, full-color images of nuclear facilities. Written in a nontechnical style with minimal equations, this book will appeal to lay readers, policymakers and professionals looking to acquire a well-rounded view about this complex subject.
Author(s): Dirk Eidemüller
Series: Springer-Praxis Books in Popular Science
Publisher: Springer-Praxis
Year: 2022
Language: English
Pages: 316
City: Chichester
Contents
Preface
1: Reactors, Bombs and Visions: A Brief History of the Nuclear Age
The Discovery of Nuclear Fission
A Message Hits Like a Bomb
A Letter Writes World History
The First Nuclear Reactor: Chicago Pile-1
The Uranverein
The Manhattan Project
The Cold War Nuclear Arms Race Starts
Atoms for Peace
The First Nuclear Power Plants
The Year 1955: Geneva Nuclear Conference and USS Nautilus
Frontlines of the Cold War
The Göttingen 18 and Approval in the East
Visions and Reality of Nuclear Fission: Electricity, Research and Ships
Up and Down: Oil Price Crises and Chernobyl
Knockdown and Resurgence: Fukushima and Climate Crisis
Part I: Basics of Nuclear Physics and Radioactivity
2: Nuclear Physics and Its Applications
The Structure of Atoms
The Forces in the Atomic Nucleus
Elements and Isotopes
Material Transformations and Nuclear Reaction Equations
Origin and Synthesis of the Elements
Important Applications of Nuclear Physics
3: Radioactivity – The Physics and Biology
Alpha, Beta and Gamma Radiation
Decay Series
Biological Effects of Radioactive Radiation
Natural and Artificial Radiation Exposure
Radiation Damage
Radiation Risk: Cancer and the Linear No-Threshold Model
Cardiovascular Diseases
Cellular Repair Mechanisms
4: Types of Radioactive Substances
Fission Products, Transuranium Elements and Activated Materials
Important Radioactive Isotopes
Part II: Nuclear Power Plants
5: How to Operate a Nuclear Reactor
The Principle of Power Generation by Nuclear Energy
Control of the Chain Reaction
6: Reactor Types and Safety
Power Reactors
Research Reactors
Safety and Emergency Systems
The INES Scale: Within and outside the Safety Margins
Training and Testing
Probabilistic Safety Assessment and Residual Risk
7: Economic, Ecological and Political Aspects of Nuclear Energy
The Nuclear Industry and the Fuel Chain
Construction and Decommissioning of Nuclear Power Plants
Current Status of the Nuclear Industry
Ecological Footprint and Life-Cycle Assessment
Open and Hidden Costs
Part III: Social Conflict Areas of Nuclear Energy
8: Uranium Mining
Occurrence and Quantities
Extraction and Processing
Hazards in Uranium Mining
The Church Rock Disaster
9: Proliferation
The Balance of Terror
Global Distribution of Nuclear Weapons
Functionality of Nuclear Weapons
Military Requirements for Nuclear Material
Depleted Uranium Ammunition
The Relationship Between Civil and Military Nuclear Technology
Civil Nuclear Bombs
Known Cases of Proliferation
10: Radioactive Incidents and Disasters
Kyshtym
Three Mile Island, Windscale and Similar Incidents
Chernobyl
Initial Situation
Sequence of the Accident
Consequences
Fukushima
Natural Catastrophe and Series of Accidents
Consequences
Aspects of the Operational Safety of Nuclear Power Plants
The Human Factor, Residual Risks and Ethical Conflicts of Nuclear Energy
11: Disposal
Types and Quantities of Nuclear Waste
Dangers from Nuclear Waste
Utopian Disposal Concepts
Partitioning and Transmutation
The Concept of Final Disposal
Open Questions and Ethical Problems of Final Disposal
Pathways for a Responsible Storage and Treatment of Nuclear Waste
Glossary
Literature
Nuclear Physics and Radiology
Nuclear Power Plants: Technology and Functioning
Scientific Data on Radiology and Nuclear Accidents
Geostrategy and Energy Politics
History and Society
Disposal and Ethics
Organizations and Online Information
Index
