1. Nuclear Power History of Nuclear Physics and Weapons; Nuclear Power Today By: Evelina Skarp & Martha van Schaik, 9C
2. Introduction Nuclear power was discovered over 100 years ago. Everything related to nuclear power has not been a positive invention. Right now nuclear power is being developed towards the benefit of mankind.
3. Introduction to the Basic History of Nuclear Physics The late 20’s and early 30’s are known for discovering radioactivity and the huge steps forward in the techniques and instrumentation of nuclear physics. Scientists had to create large electric fields to be able to continue their research. 1930’s- Ernest Lawrence invented the cyclotron (=circular magnetic accelerator).
4. Nuclear PhysicsBasic History It is very difficult to date the birth of nuclear physics. The year 1932 is considered to be the birth year of nuclear physics due to the discovery of the neutron, positron, deuteron and the completion of the first particle accelerator.
5. Fission Fission is the splitting of a heavy nucleus into lighter nuclei. Does not require a lot of energy. The energy released by fission is many times greater than the energy released by a chemical reaction.
6. Fusion Fusion is the fusing of light nuclei into a heavier nucleus. It requires a lot of energy to bring the protons close enough to overcome their electrostatic repulsion. The energy released by fusion is many times greater than the energy released by nuclear fission.
8. Atomic Bomb in History Nazi Germany was the first to start the development of an atomic bomb 1944 – invention of atomic bomb (USA) 1945, 6 of August, 8:15 – the first atomic explosion in Hiroshima (USA) (Little Boy) 1949- USSR tested their first fission weapon The first person who seriously started to think about the possibility of an atomic bomb was Leó Szilárd (1898-1964) in the 1930’s. USA were first to invent the atomic fission bomb. Russians stole the technology.
9. Atomic Bomb, Little Boy Fission weapons get their energy by blasting u-235 (an isotope of uranium) together forming a chain reaction. When the u-235 is blasted the nuclei split, giving out energy
10. Atomic Bomb, Fat Man There is another way to form critical mass. Using shock-waves from shaped explosives the sub-critical mass is compressed. Fewer electrons are lost and the chain reaction begins
11. Hydrogen Bomb Deuterium and/or tritium are the fuel of a fusion weapon. It would have been risky to store either of these gases in a bomb. This problem was solved when scientists figured out that lithium could be turned into tritium by adding one neutron. A fusion bomb works by having a fission bomb as a trigger. When the fission bomb explodes, it gives out heat and neutrons, which turn the lithium into tritium, and compresses the tritium Idea to create a more powerful fusion weapon appeared in 1950s. This was the time of the Cold War so it is hard to tell who was first in the H-bomb development. American sources say that they have performed a first explosion on the 1 of November of 1952. Russian sources say that they made it on the 21 of September 1955 and that USA made it in 1956 at Bikini
12. First Nuclear Power Plant The rapid development of nuclear power was due to the nuclear arms race between USA and USSR during the Cold War. After the war people started thinking of domestic uses for nuclear power, thus inventing commercial power plants. December 1951- the first electricity was generated from atomic power at EBR-1 Idaho National Engineering Lab, Idaho Falls, USA June 1954- the world’s first nuclear power plant to generate electricity for commercial use, APS-1, was connected to the power grid at Obninsk, Russia. August 1956- the world’s first commercial power plant, Calder Hall 1, was connected to the power grid in England. December 1957- USA’s first commercial power plant, Shippingport, goes into use in Pennsylvania.
14. Henri Becquerel(1852–1908) Was a French physicist. Born on 15th of December 1852 in Paris, France. Best known for discovering radioactivity in 1896. Discovered radioactivity by putting a key that was under some dark piece of paper in a closet that had radioactive material in it.
15. Sir Ernest Rutherford(1871–1937) Was a British physicist-chemist. Born on 30th August 1871 in Nelson, New Zealand. In the late 1890’s he suggested that the disintegration of atoms results in radioactivity. In 1917 he discovered that the nuclei of light elements can be disintegrated, leading to the discovery of alpha and beta particles.
16. Sir James Chadwick(1891–1974) Was a British physicist. He was born 20th October 1891 in Cheshire, England. He helped Rutherford with the properties and structure of atomic nuclei. In 1932 he proved the existence of neutrons.
17. George Gamow(1904–1968) Was an American physicist-theorist and astronomer. He was born on 4 of March in 1904 in Odessa, USSR. His first success was the formation of the fusion theory. He lived and worked in USA. He was the first one to work out star models with thermonuclear sources of energy. He did research on alpha decay. He made a model of the “Hot Universe”. He was the first to formulate the problem of the genetic code. He died on 19 of August in 1968, in Colorado, USA.
18. Further Development of Nuclear Power Today nuclear physics is developing in a more peaceful direction We are starting to become more and more dependant on nuclear power. Nuclear power produces more than 25% of the total electricity made in over 15 countries There is a total of about 440 nuclear reactors around the world.
21. employ key scientists in weapons of mass destruction (WMD) complexes.Russia and USA did not become allies. Despite the signed agreement of de-targeting, each country has suspicions over other’s missiles explaining the sizes of their nuclear arsenals.
23. Pros & Cons Many oppose nuclear power. The example how dangerous it is the disaster in Chernobyl. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2jL5ubnd8g&feature=related In future scientists are planning to use fusion as an ecological source of energy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDAZsPkTkMM
24. Conclusion Nuclear power was discovered over 100 years ago. It has developed at a rapid speed thanks to the invention of nuclear arms. Everything related to nuclear power has not been a positive invention Now nuclear power is being developed towards the benefit of mankind.
25. Bibliography Frontiers. twentieth-century physics, Steve Adams, 2000, London and New York BSE (Big Soviet Encyclopedia, huge list of authors,) The Dictionary of Battles. the world's key battles from 405 BC to today, general editor David Chandler, 1987, Ebury Press, London Building the Universe, a new scientist guide. edited by Christine Sutton, 1985, Oxford http://www.hps.org/publicinformation/ate/q1662.html http://www.euronuclear.org/info/npp-ww.htm http://www.diffen.com/difference/Nuclear_Fission_vs_Nuclear_Fusion http://www.hep.man.ac.uk/babarph/babarphysics/positron.html http://science.howstuffworks.com/nuclear-bomb6.htm http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/rutherford_ernest.shtml http://www.huwu.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/1935/chadwick-bio.html http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/1951/cockcroft-bio.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Walton http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/1951/walton-bio.html http://www.world-nuclear.org/why/nuctoday.html http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/reactors.html
Editor's Notes
City – Hiroshima after the explosion
On top – APS-1, Obninsk, 1954At the bottom – Obninsk Control Room, I can also put EBR-1 in Idaho Falls instead
