Nuclear Energy

Nuclear power as an alternative energy source to fossil fuels has certain advantages—for example, it doesn't produce greenhouse gases or smog emissions. But nuclear power produces significant risks, as exemplified by the disaster at Fukushima and earlier accidents at Three Mile Island and Chernobyl. RAND has evaluated the operations of nuclear power plants in Europe, the former Soviet Union, and the United States to explore the benefits of nuclear energy in relation to the threats posed by nuclear power plants.

Report
The Peaceful Neutron Bomb : A New Twist on Controlled Nuclear Fusion.
Because fusion neutrons can produce fission in U238, 100 tons of fission energy can be produced with a blast containment problem of only one ton as opposed to 20 tons in a pure-fusion system. Compared with a nuclear fission reactor, this system woul...
Jan 1, 1967
Report
On the Economics of Power from Pulsed Fusion Reactors.
Comments on the feasibility of using small, controlled thermonuclear fusion explosions to generate cheap electric power. Simple calculations show that, even without considering the additional costs of building reactors designed to accommodate repeat...
Jan 1, 1967
Report
Where Is Nuclear Reactor Technology Taking Us?
A discussion of the unexpected growth of nonmilitary nuclear capacity and certain related political problems concerning the spread of nuclear weapons.
Jan 1, 1967
Report
Clandestine Diversion of Source Nuclear Materials in a Power Reactor.
Clandestine diversion of nuclear material in strategic quantities is impractical and, since alternative methods of acquiring it exist, refinement of safeguard techniques would not solve the problem. Our funds and effort should be directed toward res...
Jan 1, 1967
Report
What the Parsons Study Really Says about Nuclear Power Economics : The Grand Canyon Controversy, Round ?
One of a series on the Grand Canyon dam controversy, this paper analyzes the validity of a comparison of nuclear and hydroelectric power plants made for the Arizona Interstate Stream Commission by Ralph M. Parsons Co. in 1966. The Parsons study assu...
Jan 1, 1967
Report
Breeder Reactors and the Spread of Plutonium
A summary of the increase in civilian nuclear power and the danger of diversion to weapons.
Jan 1, 1966
Journal Article
Bands of D2 and T2 Originating from the Lowest Excited 1sigma G States (1s) Sigma)(2s Sigma)1sigma G and (2p) Sigma) Squared 1sigma G
Bands of the two extensive band systems are presented.
Jan 1, 1965
Report
Neutron capture in the atmosphere from high altitude point sources
A presentation of results for the spatial and time-dependence of neutron capture from a representative fission weapon spectrum and a 14 Mev monoenergetic source at altitudes of 10 km to 48.3 km in the real atmosphere. The solutions have been obtained...
Jan 1, 1965
Journal Article
Green's Functions for One-Velocity Neutron Transport in a One-Dimensional Slab and Sphere
Computing a Green's function, for one-velocity neutron transport or radiative transfer in a one-dimensional slab or sphere with isotropic scattering.
Jan 1, 1964
Journal Article
Spectral Analysis of the Anisotropic Neutron Transport Kernel in Slab Geometry with Applications
A spectral analysis of the transport kernel for anisotropic scattering in finite slabs is achieved by first solving a type of generalized scattering problem for a subcritical slab.
Jan 1, 1964
Report
The Fission-Electric Cell Project
A presentation of the results of the Fission-Electric Cell Project, a research and development effort aimed at converting atomic energy directly into electrical energy.
Jan 1, 1963
Report
Economics of Zirconium Alloy Versus Stainless Steel Nuclear Fuel Sheathing.
Results of a study on the effects of changing economic conditions on nuclear energy costs. Zirconium alloys and stainless steel are compared as fuel cladding materials....
Jan 1, 1963
Report
Nuclear strategic options and European force participation.
A discussion of nuclear power policy in NATO. This Paper covers the results implicit in shared nuclear control, in multilateral direction, and in separate national forces. The complexities of the situation are shown by examples....
Jan 1, 1963
Report
The Peaceful Atom in Retrospect and Prospect
A review of the world Atoms for Peace program announced by President Eisenhower before the United Nations on December 8, 1953.
Mar 8, 1960
Report
Powerplants for atmospheric and surface vehicles on Mars.
An investigation of powerplants suitable for use on Mars. The powerplants studied are atmosphere- breathing systems using nuclear and chemical heat sources, chemical rockets, and a rocket-turbine in which rocket-chamber exhaust feeds a turbine to pro...
Jan 1, 1960
Report
Neutron branching processes.
A study of the neutron population in a nuclear reactor as a branching process. New results are presented on the extinction probability of a supercritical reactor near the critical dimension, extending results of T. E. Harris. In this special context,...
Jan 1, 1960
Report
Invariant imbedding and neutron transport theory--II: functional equations.
A discussion of some one-dimensional fission processes with particular attention to questions of critical length and energy dependence of the products of fission. Various interconnections between the functions used in the invariant-imbedding approach...
Jan 1, 1958
Report
The Soviet Union and the Atom: Toward Nuclear Maturity
The concluding chapter of a proposed book on Soviet atomic policy. Based on publicly available materials, this research memorandum describes the progress of the USSR atomic energy program: its organization and the nuclear research institutes ...
Jan 1, 1958
Report
A Linear Programming Model of the Gaseous-Diffusion Isotope-Separation Process
An attempt to show how the gaseous-diffusion process for separating uranium isotopes may be treated as a linear-programming model.
Jan 1, 1957
Report
Medical and biological aspects of nuclear energy
A lecture on the biological effects of penetrating radiation (X-rays, gamma rays, and neutrons) on a variety of laboratory animals. The variation in dosages, lethal doses, and effects on the different types of body cells are discussed....
Jan 1, 1947

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Nuclear Energy

The Peaceful Neutron Bomb : A New Twist on Controlled Nuclear Fusion.

On the Economics of Power from Pulsed Fusion Reactors.

Where Is Nuclear Reactor Technology Taking Us?

Clandestine Diversion of Source Nuclear Materials in a Power Reactor.

What the Parsons Study Really Says about Nuclear Power Economics : The Grand Canyon Controversy, Round ?

Breeder Reactors and the Spread of Plutonium

Bands of D2 and T2 Originating from the Lowest Excited 1sigma G States (1s) Sigma)(2s Sigma)1sigma G and (2p) Sigma) Squared 1sigma G

Neutron capture in the atmosphere from high altitude point sources

Green's Functions for One-Velocity Neutron Transport in a One-Dimensional Slab and Sphere

Spectral Analysis of the Anisotropic Neutron Transport Kernel in Slab Geometry with Applications

The Fission-Electric Cell Project

Economics of Zirconium Alloy Versus Stainless Steel Nuclear Fuel Sheathing.

Nuclear strategic options and European force participation.

The Peaceful Atom in Retrospect and Prospect

Powerplants for atmospheric and surface vehicles on Mars.

Neutron branching processes.

Invariant imbedding and neutron transport theory--II: functional equations.

The Soviet Union and the Atom: Toward Nuclear Maturity

A Linear Programming Model of the Gaseous-Diffusion Isotope-Separation Process

Medical and biological aspects of nuclear energy

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