The Global Politics of Combating Nuclear Terrorism
The Global Politics of Combating Nuclear Terrorism

Author: William C. Potter

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2013-09-13

Total Pages: 201

ISBN-13: 1317989619

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The most difficult challenge for a terrorist organization seeking to build a nuclear weapon or improvised nuclear device is obtaining fissile material, either plutonium or highly enriched uranium (HEU). Experts acknowledge that obtaining HEU, uranium that has been processed to increase the proportion of the U-235 isotope to over 20%, is the most difficult challenge facing a state or non-state actor seeking to build a nuclear explosive. The large stocks of HEU in civilian use, many not adequately protected, are thus one of the greatest security risks facing the global community at present. This book contains chapters examining the various uses for this material and possible alternatives; the threat posed by this material; the economic, political and strategic obstacles to international efforts to end the use of HEU for commercial and research purposes; as well as new national and international measures that should be taken to further the elimination of HEU. This book was published as a special issue of The Nonproliferation Review.

Reducing the Use of Highly Enriched Uranium in Civilian Research Reactors
Reducing the Use of Highly Enriched Uranium in Civilian Research Reactors

Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2016-02-12

Total Pages: 205

ISBN-13: 0309379210

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The continued presence of highly enriched uranium (HEU) in civilian installations such as research reactors poses a threat to national and international security. Minimization, and ultimately elimination, of HEU in civilian research reactors worldwide has been a goal of U.S. policy and programs since 1978. Today, 74 civilian research reactors around the world, including 8 in the United States, use or are planning to use HEU fuel. Since the last National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine report on this topic in 2009, 28 reactors have been either shut down or converted from HEU to low enriched uranium fuel. Despite this progress, the large number of remaining HEU-fueled reactors demonstrates that an HEU minimization program continues to be needed on a worldwide scale. Reducing the Use of Highly Enriched Uranium in Civilian Research Reactors assesses the status of and progress toward eliminating the worldwide use of HEU fuel in civilian research and test reactors.

Thorium Fuel Cycle
Thorium Fuel Cycle

Author: International Atomic Energy Agency

Publisher:

Published: 2005

Total Pages: 120

ISBN-13:

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Provides a critical review of the thorium fuel cycle: potential benefits and challenges in the thorium fuel cycle, mainly based on the latest developments at the front end of the fuel cycle, applying thorium fuel cycle options, and at the back end of the thorium fuel cycle.

Nuclear Data for Science and Technology
Nuclear Data for Science and Technology

Author: Syed M. Qaim

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2012-12-06

Total Pages: 1041

ISBN-13: 3642581137

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This book describes the Proceedings of the International Conference on Nuclear Data for Science and Technology held at Jillich in May 1991. The conference was in a series of application oriented nuclear data conferences organized in the past under the auspices of the Nuclear Energy Agency-Nuclear Data Committee (NEANDC) and with the support of the Nuclear Energy Agency-Committee on Reactor Physics (NEACRP). It was the fIrst international conference on nuclear data held in Germany, with the scientific responsibility entrusted to the Institute of Nuclear Chemistry of the Research Centre Jillich. The scientific programme was established by the International Programme Committee in consultation with the International Advisers, and the NEA and IAEA cooperated in the organization. A total of 328 persons from 37 countries and fIve international organizations participated. The scope of these Proceedings extends to a wide range of interdisciplinary topics dealing with measu rement, calculation, evaluation and application of nuclear data, with a major emphasis on numerical data. Both energy and non-energy related applications are considered and due attention is given to some fundamental aspects relevant to the understanding of nuclear data.

Advances in High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactor Fuel Technology
Advances in High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactor Fuel Technology

Author: International Atomic Energy Agency

Publisher:

Published: 2012-06

Total Pages: 639

ISBN-13: 9789201253101

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This publication reports on the results of a coordinated research project on advances in high temperature gas cooled reactor (HTGR) fuel technology and describes the findings of research activities on coated particle developments. These comprise two specific benchmark exercises with the application of HTGR fuel performance and fission product release codes, which helped compare the quality and validity of the computer models against experimental data. The project participants also examined techniques for fuel characterization and advanced quality assessment/quality control. The key exercise included a round-robin experimental study on the measurements of fuel kernel and particle coating properties of recent Korean, South African and US coated particle productions applying the respective qualification measures of each participating Member State. The summary report documents the results and conclusions achieved by the project and underlines the added value to contemporary knowledge on HTGR fuel.