Research Paper On Nuclear Fusion

Another cause of the danger of nuclear weapons is improper storage and handling. The nuclear weapons could be accidently detonated in there silos or storage facilities. This can be a danger to the entire world. If a nuclear weapon is not stored in a safe matter many types of problems could arise. A perfect example of a nuclear accident was at the Chernobyl power plant in Ukraine. The Chernobyl accident was the result of a flawed reactor design that was operated inadequately by non-properly trained personal. The Chernobyl explosion was a very devastating explosion and only two workers died on the night of the accident. Over the course of a few weeks after the accident 28 people were reported dead from radiation sickness.

Nuclear energy is defined as energy released by reactions within atomic nuclei, as in nuclear fission or fusion (“Dictionary”). Nuclear fission is defined as a nuclear reaction in which a massive nucleus splits into smaller nuclei with the simultaneous release of energy. The definition of nuclear fission is as reaction in which two nuclei combine to form a nucleus with the release of energy (“Dictionary”). The process of nuclear fission and fusion happen inside of a nuclear reactor that is located in a nuclear power plant. Also needing to be defined, a nuclear reactor is a device in which nuclear fission initiates a controlled chain reaction, producing heat energy typically used for power generation, and neutrons and fission products (“Dictionary”). It is also important to know that there are a few different kinds of nuclear reactors. The different kind of reactors include: pressurized water reactors, boiling water reactors, gas-cooled reactors, and light water graphite reactors (Blau 117). Finally, a nuclear power plant is a facility for the production of electricity using

•     Waste from nuclear energy stays radioactive for thousands of years. Great care has to be taken in storing this waste safely.

     To understand fusion, it is a good idea to know about fission. This is the splitting of the nuclei of atoms into two or more smaller nuclei by bombarding them with neutrons of low energy. It was discovered in the 1930's in an attempt to make transuranium elements (elements with atomic numbers greater than Uranium that do not exist in nature). They

Process of nuclear fusion release enormous about of energy It is a nuclear reaction where two atoms collide at a very high speed and join two crate a new type of atom .It needs two atomic nuclei to make a large nucleus it needs energy to make this happen though. Things that use this reaction are the sun and the stars to release energy.

It was understood that fission was capable of making a massive bomb, way more powerful than chemical energy. According to an article from…………...Just one kilogram of plutonium or uranium could be capable of producing the same explosion as 20,000 tons of TNT. Scientists used a very fast nucleus which would run into other nuclei and then produce more and more all the way up to about 80 times each giving off atomic energy. All of this would happen in one millionth of a second and produce a temperature that exceeds anything here on earth. It can reach up to about ten billion degrees. The first thing that happens when a bomb explodes is, there is an initial blast wave, then there is a electromagnetic pulse followed by a thermal wave. There is also the radiation damage and then local and global fallout. The initial blast wave will crush anything in its path with 750 mile per hour air speed. The electromagnetic wave would shut down and damage all electronics over a huge radius. The thermal wave will burn anyone exposed to it and create many

1. Christian, Eric. (2012, May 10). Nucleosynthesis. Retrieved from http://helios.gsfc.nasa.gov/nucleo.html 2. May, Sandra. (2015, Sept 16)

On August 6th, 1945, the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan. Whether you believe it changed the world for better or for worse, there’s no denying that the planet will never be the same. This fission technology opened the door for a whole new era of science, global politics, and warfare. But just how destructive can these bombs become? Who decides which countries can have these bombs, and what sort of power does it give them? Is it possible to use fission technology be used for other, more humanitarian projects?

How does a nuclear weapon work you might ask? Well there are two ways a nuclear weapon can work. One is nuclear fission and the other is nuclear fusion. In nuclear fission, the nucleus of an atom is split in two by a neutron. To do this, isotopes will need to be present such as uranium (uranium-235, uranium-233) or plutonium (plutonium-239) (Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament). An isotope is the same element but with different numbers. Nuclear fusion is kind of how the sun works. According to Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, two small atoms are fused together to create one large atoms. This typically requires hydrogen or hydrogen isotopes (deuterium, tritium), to form a larger one (helium isotopes) (Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament).

Nuclear fusion is an atomic reaction where atoms combine to form a bigger atom with less mass. The most common nuclear fusion is when hydrogen nuclei forms helium nuclei. This occurs in stars that are small such as our sun. When there is low amount in nuclear fuel a star then turns into a red giant as its core grows smaller, denser, and hotter. Our sun will eventually turn into a red giant, theoretically vaporizing Earth. Once the core has nothing to fuse but iron, it will immediately begin the final phase. The temperature in the core rises over 100 billion degrees and then the star explodes. After a supernova, all that’s left of the star is a small, dense core called a neutron star. Also after the explosion, a black hole

A heavier atom is formed when two light atomic nuclei’s (e.g. hydrogen-1 & hydrogen-2 )are fused together which only happens when a substantial blow of energy is released and then a larger and heavier nuclei is created( e.g. helium-3.) E.g. when sun and stars release energy. It can’t be controlled as the amount of power required to generate and maintain fusion is more than the reaction can generate itself.

Scientists have been trying for many years to build nuclear reactors that would allow a sustained fusion reaction to occur. There are several factors that influence a fusion reaction. Since very high kinetic energies are needed for nuclei to fuse, the plasma in which fusion occurs is extremely hot. Temperatures in excess of 100 million degrees celsius are required for the easiest fusion reaction to take place. Plasmas are fluids, and therefore they have no permanent shape and will quickly disperse if not confined. A 100 million degree plasma will vaporise any container in which it is placed, so magnetic fields are used to contain the plasma.

The subway stopped suddenly in the tunnel and everyone screamed. The lights started to flicker and then they shut off. We were stopped for over three hours, then we started to go again. I got off the train and realized the whole New York City was in ruins. I ran to my apartment to look for my family, and they were gone. Everyone, besides the six of us who were on the train, were gone.

The chance of a nuclear war increases every year.(6) In the event of a large number of nuclear bombs exploding in a short amount of time it is possibly that it will create a nuclear winter and block out the sun for weeks or months. The nuclear winter would be caused from all the chemicals and debris that would be in the air reducing the amount of sun light that reaches earth.(7) When there is a nuclear explosion, a lot of vaporized radioactive matter is released into the atmosphere. Radiation kills most living things and could damage the world’s food supply by radioactive matter settling back on the ground.(8) If there is ever a large nuclear war, it is very possible that much or the entire world will be destroyed. Nuclear weapons have a very dangerous potential of wiping out countries, and the mere threat of their use, changes the world.

Nuclear energy is an alternative source of energy that holds great amounts of energy and is one of the future sources of energy for this world. “Nuclear energy is energy in the nucleus (core) of an atom. There is enormous energy in the bonds that hold the nucleus together. Energy is released when those bonds are broken” (Uranium). Unlike a chemical reaction with fossil fuels, nuclear reactions create an even greater amount of energy than fossil fuels. “Nuclear energy can be used to make electricity, but first it must be released it can be released from atoms in two ways: nuclear fusion and nuclear fission” (Uranium). Nuclear energy already provides 1/5 of all the energy in the U.S.,