Explosive Properties of Reactor-Grade Plutonium

Mark, John; Hippel, Frank von; Lyman, Edward

doi:10.1080/08929880903368690

Cited by 41 publications

(33 citation statements)

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“…Reactor-grade Pu typically contains more than 35 % 239 Pu with a 240 Pu/ 239 Pu atom ratio of 0.2 -1.0 after fuel burn-up (Yamana et al, 2001). The 240 Pu/ 239 Pu atom ratio in weapon-grade Pu is much lower (0.02 -0.06) because burn-up is kept low to minimise the production of higher Pu isotopes (Mark, 1993).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Plutonium isotopes as tracers for ocean processes: A review

Lindahl

Lee

Worsfold

et al. 2010

Marine Environmental Research

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Since the first nuclear weapons tests in the 1940s, pulsed inputs of plutonium isotopes have served as excellent tracers for understanding sources, pathways, dynamics and the fate of pollutants and particles in the marine environment. Due to the well-defined spatial and temporal inputs of Pu, the long half- Pu and its unique chemical properties, Pu is a potential tracer for various physical and biogeochemical ocean processes, including circulation, sedimentation and biological productivity, and hence a means of assessing the impacts of global climate change. Due to the source dependency of the Pu isotopic signature, plutonium isotopes are beginning to be exploited as tools for the evaluation and improvement of regional and global ocean models that will enhance understanding of past and future changes in the oceans. This paper addresses the major sources of Pu and the physical and biogeochemical behaviour in the marine environment. Finally, the use of Pu isotopes as tracers for various oceanic processes (e.g. water mass transport, particle export, and sedimentation) is considered.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Plutonium isotopes as tracers for ocean processes: A review

Lindahl

Lee

Worsfold

et al. 2010

Marine Environmental Research

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“…The ATTR level of weapon grade referred to plutonium compositions of weapon grade based on the weapon grade composition of Pellaud, Mark, and Devolpi. 12,24,26) The less attractiveness level of the axial blanket region than that of the radial blanket region is caused by the higher obtained even mass of plutonium compositions for the axial blanket region in the no MA doping case. Those attractiveness levels of blanket regions decrease with reactor operation time.…”

Section: Materials Attractiveness Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Those indexes are adjustable to reflect the peculiarities of energy release in a particular configuration; for instance, when n is set to unity, it might be used to characterize the energy release in a system without any material density effect or variations, and in addition, when n is set to 3, as shown in Ref. 26), to reflect the energy release in a system with material density effect. MCNP-4C 27) and Nuclear Data Library JENDL-3.3 28) are adopted for evaluating this material attractiveness, which is related to the Rossialpha evaluation.…”

Section: Attractiveness Of Materials Based On Plutonium Isotope Composmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Rossi-alpha is referred to as the ratio of supercriticality (k eff À 1) to the average between neutron generations or prompt neutron lifetime ( ). 25,26) The indexes of n, p, and q are set to unity for this evaluation. Those indexes are adjustable to reflect the peculiarities of energy release in a particular configuration; for instance, when n is set to unity, it might be used to characterize the energy release in a system without any material density effect or variations, and in addition, when n is set to 3, as shown in Ref.…”

Section: Attractiveness Of Materials Based On Plutonium Isotope Composmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Plutonium categorizations are based on the following levels of plutonium composition from weapon grade to plutonium exempt grade. 24) The attractiveness concept adopted several criteria based on the fissile plutonium contents as well as even mass of plutonium compositions: (1) Level of weapon-grade plutonium, 12,26,29) (2) Level of plutonium with 30% Pu-240, 12,26) (3) Level of plutonium with 6% Pu-238, 13) (4) Level of plutonium exempt from safeguards. 11) Attractiveness levels as comparative analysis based on different MOX and TRU fuel loadings in the core and different MA loadings in the blanket region, which are based on their isotopic plutonium compositions, are shown in Fig.…”

Section: Materials Attractiveness Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Basic Analysis on Isotopic Barrier of Material Attractiveness Based on Plutonium Composition of FBR

Permana

Suzuki

Saito

2011

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology

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Fuel behaviors of the large fast breeder reactor have been investigated, as well as material attractiveness based on isotopic plutonium composition for evaluating proliferation resistance with regards to a combined evaluation of decay heat and spontaneous fission neutron barrier as key parameters of isotopic material barrier. Trans-uranium fuel (TRU) (MA + U-Pu) in the core regions and MA doping (MA + natural U) in the blanket regions as options of MA loading produce a higher Pu-238 composition for denaturing plutonium, which mainly comes from converted Np-237. The isotopic plutonium composition of TRU fuel is relatively less than the Pu composition of MOX fuel except for the Pu-238 composition that is higher than that of MOX fuel. MA in the core or blanket regions, which produces a higher Pu-238 composition, plays a key role in obtaining a high-level material barrier of decay heat and spontaneous fission neutron compositions. The material attractiveness level of plutonium composition in the core regions can be categorized as practically unusable and its level becomes less by adopting TRU fuel. In addition, the material attractiveness level in the blanket regions as being practically unusable can be reached from weapon grade by loading MA at a 2% doping rate.

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Technical and social problems of nuclear waste

Ramana

2018

WIREs Energy & Environment

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Despite decades of effort, the nuclear industry does not yet have a working solution for managing spent fuel and high level waste, the most radioactive products generated by nuclear power plants. Although many scientific and technical bodies have endorsed geological disposal as the preferred solution to this problem, there remain significant uncertainties about the long-term performance of repositories and behavior of the nuclear wastes to be stored in these facilities. Apart from a minority of countries, most countries have not chosen any sites for a repository. Further concerns about the long-term safety of repositories arise from the experiences of failures and accidents at pilot facilities. One reason for the absence of operating repositories decades after they were first proposed is widespread public opposition to such facilities. Polls have revealed that substantial majorities of people consider nuclear waste with dread and do not approve plans to dispose of radioactive wastes near them, or, often, far away either. Nuclear power advocates have typically dismissed public concerns as resulting from a lack of understanding of scientific facts but this explanation does not withstand scrutiny. Technical approaches to dealing with nuclear waste, such as reprocessing of spent fuel, mischaracterize the social concerns and therefore do not help gain public acceptance. Concern about radioactive waste has contributed to the failure of the propaganda effort by the nuclear industry to market nuclear power as a solution to climate change. The absence of a solution to waste negatively affects the future expansion of nuclear energy.

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Explosive Properties of Reactor-Grade Plutonium

Cited by 41 publications

References 0 publications

Plutonium isotopes as tracers for ocean processes: A review

Plutonium isotopes as tracers for ocean processes: A review

Basic Analysis on Isotopic Barrier of Material Attractiveness Based on Plutonium Composition of FBR

Technical and social problems of nuclear waste

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