Humankind gets 12 percent of its electrical energy from nuclear power plants, and even some environmentalists argue that an increase in nuclear energy will be essential in reducing climate-changing carbon emissions. But nuclear power is linked with nuclear weapons and weapons proliferation. How tight is that link, and how worrisome are its proliferation implications? The answer depends in part on technical details of nuclear power reactors as well as on a country’s general nuclear expertise and motivation for acquiring nuclear weapons. This workshop will focus on the proliferation implications of different nuclear power strategies, including specific reactor designs and associated fuel cycles. In addition to lecture and discussion, the workshop includes a component where students will work with software to model nuclear decays, the buildup of plutonium in power reactors, and other nuclear processes relevant to proliferation. The workshop will begin with a brief review basic nuclear science; however, an introduction at the level of NPTG8559A, “Science and Technology for NPTS,” is helpful but not essential.

Schedule
9:00am-11:50am on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday (Jan 12, 2015 to Jan 16, 2015)
Location
Morse B206
Instructors