"Nuclear power is the use of nuclear reactions to produce electricity."
The study of nuclear energy production and its risks and benefits.
Introduction to Nuclear Energy: An overview of the importance, history, and current state of nuclear energy production.
Nuclear Fission: The process of breaking apart atoms to create energy and how it works in nuclear power plants.
Nuclear Power Plant Components: An explanation of the various components of a nuclear power plant, including the reactor, containment vessel, and cooling systems.
Nuclear Waste Management: How nuclear waste is stored and disposed of safely.
Nuclear Safety and Security: The measures that are taken to ensure that nuclear energy production is safe and secure.
Environmental Impacts of Nuclear Energy: Potential environmental impacts of nuclear energy, including radiation and waste.
Nuclear Energy Policies and Regulations: An overview of the policies and regulations that govern nuclear energy production and use.
Nuclear Energy Technology Advancements: An overview of recent advancements in nuclear technology, including advanced reactors and fuel cycles.
Nuclear Energy and Climate Change: The role of nuclear energy in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and mitigating climate change.
Nuclear Energy Economics: An analysis of the economic costs and benefits associated with nuclear energy production.
Nuclear Energy and Energy Security: The role of nuclear energy in ensuring energy security for nations and reducing dependence on foreign energy sources.
Public Perception of Nuclear Energy: An overview of public opinions on nuclear energy and the factors influencing those opinions.
Nuclear Energy and International Relations: The role of nuclear energy in international politics and cooperation or conflict.
Nuclear Energy and Nuclear Weapons Proliferation: Potential risks of nuclear energy production and use in the proliferation of nuclear weapons.
Future of Nuclear Energy: A discussion of the potential role of nuclear energy in the future energy mix and potential challenges to its growth.
Fission: Nuclear fission is the process of splitting atoms to release energy. This energy is then used to generate electricity in nuclear power plants.
Fusion: Nuclear fusion is the process of combining atoms to release energy. This energy is much more powerful than that released by fission, but it is not yet possible to harness it for energy production.
Radioactive decay: Radioactive decay is the process by which unstable atomic nuclei release energy in the form of radiation. This energy can be used in medical imaging and treatment, as well as in power sources for space exploration.
Radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs): RTGs use the heat generated by the decay of radioactive isotopes to generate electricity. They are used in deep-space probes where solar power is not feasible.
Nuclear batteries: Nuclear batteries use radioactive materials to generate a small amount of electricity over a long period of time. They are used in pacemakers, sensors, and other small devices.
Nuclear medicine: Nuclear medicine uses radioactive materials to diagnose and treat medical conditions. Radioisotopes are injected into the body, allowing doctors to see internal organs and tissues on imaging scans.
Nuclear weapons: Nuclear weapons use the energy released by nuclear fission or fusion to create a powerful explosion. They are highly destructive and have only been used twice in history.
"Nuclear power can be obtained from nuclear fission, nuclear decay and nuclear fusion reactions."
"Presently, the vast majority of electricity from nuclear power is produced by nuclear fission of uranium and plutonium in nuclear power plants."
"Nuclear decay processes are used in niche applications such as radioisotope thermoelectric generators in some space probes such as Voyager 2."
"Generating electricity from fusion power remains the focus of international research."
"Most nuclear power plants use thermal reactors with enriched uranium in a once-through fuel cycle."
"It is then cooled for several years in on-site spent fuel pools before being transferred to long-term storage."
"The spent fuel, though low in volume, is high-level radioactive waste."
"All reactors breed some plutonium-239, which is found in the spent fuel, and because Pu-239 is the preferred material for nuclear weapons, reprocessing is seen as a weapon proliferation risk."
"The first nuclear power plant was built in the 1950s."
"The 1979 Three Mile Island accident in the United States and the 1986 Chernobyl disaster in the Soviet Union resulted in increased regulation and public opposition to nuclear plants."
"The global installed capacity only increased to 390 GW by 2022."
"These plants supplied 2,586 terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity in 2019, equivalent to about 10% of global electricity generation."
"As of August 2023, there are 410 civilian fission reactors in the world."
"The United States has the largest fleet of nuclear reactors."
"Nuclear power is a safe, sustainable energy source that reduces carbon emissions."
"Nuclear power generation causes one of the lowest levels of fatalities per unit of energy generated compared to other energy sources."
"Nuclear power plants also emit no greenhouse gases and result in less life-cycle carbon emissions than common 'renewables'."
"The novel radiological hazards associated with nuclear power are the primary motivations of the anti-nuclear movement, which contends that nuclear power poses many threats to people and the environment."
"Citing the potential for accidents like the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan in 2011, and is too expensive/slow to deploy when compared to alternative sustainable energy sources."