![]() We see how ionizing radiation affects living tissue, and how the effects of different types of radiation can be characterized by a radiation weighting factor. In Section 3 we describe the underlying physical principles of power generation by fusion, including the use of deuterium and tritium as fuels, and the need for a very high temperature plasma and the consequent problems of heating and confinement, both magnetic confinement and inertial confinement.įinally in Section 4, we consider the hazards associated with radioactivity. Power generation by nuclear fusion is the ultimate objective of intense international research effort which, if successful, will produce nuclear power with much less radioactive hazard than existing nuclear fission reactors. This is followed, in Subsection 2.3 by a summary of the various types of radioactive waste produced in fission reactors, and of the treatment (including reprocessing) of this material. In Subsection 2.2 we outline design features that allow a nuclear reactor to be maintained in a critical state, by means of control rods and a suitable moderator. We begin (in Section 2) by considering the process of nuclear fission and we see how thermal neutrons can sustain a nuclear chain reaction. ![]() We will approach the subject of radiation hazard from the point of view of the underlying physics and, as far as possible, give a quantitative presentation. The debate concerning the safety of the nuclear industry is still raging. The topics are related in that current nuclear power generation produces radioactive waste material. Two separate topics are covered in this module – the use of nuclear reactions for power generation (both nuclear fission and nuclear fusion) and the hazards of radioactivity. ![]()
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