Japan has the next Chernobyl apparently.

If you plot the energy per nucleon versus atomic weight of every
isotope known, you will see that everything lighter than Iron-56 gains
energy when its nucleus fuses together. You will also see that
everything heavier than Iron-56 gains energy when its nucleus breaks
apart (fizzes). This is the physical basis of fission and fusion
energy. About 1% of the rest mass energy of Uranium can be released
by fission. About 8% of the rest mass energy of Hydrogen can be
released by fusion.

So, the science of nuclear transformation can be a source of
tremendous energy for humanity. This is why Leo Szilard, inventor of
the nuclear reactor, the nuclear bomb, and the nuclear rocket, studied
nuclear physics in the 1920s following his involvement in World War
One. Szilard felt that confined to Earth humanity would fight and
court danger. As a result, we would be condemned to endless war. He
felt that if we released the power of the atom war would exterminate
humanity, while at the same time releasing those with the appropriate
drive and skills, from the confines of the Earth. He wrote in a
letter to Jacob Brownowski in 1931,

“This was what mankind needed, if I wanted to contribute something to
save mankind, then I would probably go into nuclear physics, because
only through the liberation of atomic energy could we obtain the means
which would enable man not only to leave the Earth but to leave the
solar system.”

He achieved this end.

And there has been a fight behind the scenes ever since about how to
use this energy source going forward.

In the 1950s after World War Two, there was a fight about how much
information should be allowed into the commercial side of nuclear
energy. There are those within the US military who didn't want any
commercial nuclear program. There are others who didn't want any
restraint on knowledge. We got only part of the story about nuclear
power at that time.

As is true with wiki-leaks today, the CIA and other agencies helped
shape public opinion using leaked information and then issuing press
releases about it. Klaus Fuchs and the Rosenbergs were the scape
goats and patsies in this program. This leak occurred at the time we
knew the Soviets would have a bomb anyway, and was spun to enlarge the
US military budgets while at the same time restricting commercial
access to needed knowledge on the basis it would be a security threat
to the US to have this information known.

Both fission and fusion release energy. This can be done by a variety
of methods. Neutron mediated reactions are the easiest to carry out,
but other particles and energies can be used to bring about nuclear
transformations - whether making light things heavier or heavy things
lighter. Neutrons can for example be used to bring about fusion -
adding a neutron to a light nucleus makes it heavier, releasing
energy. This isn't well known outside the military community since it
was argued that there are lots of easily separated isotopes that could
be used to make nuclear weapons and light isotopes are easier to
separate - deuterium for example can use a rather modest centrifuge to
separate it from protium when bound as water. Neutrons can also be
used to destabilize large nucleii causing them to break apart. The
most difficult to separate isotopes were offered to the commercial
sector. The military kept the more advanced systems secret. Those
more advanced systems went into the development of a new class of
nuclear powered aircraft. Those were held at secret military bases
and now form the basis of a continuity of government psy op - based in
part on the proven success of War of the Worlds to motivate the public
with awe and fear - leading to the modern mythos of UFOs as outlined
by Carl Jung. That is, the myth of the UFO is perpetrated in the
media and theater and the popular press in such a way that if the USA
ceases to exist in any conventional sense, or is challenged in any
other way, it has the resources using advanced atomic powered aircraft
to influence events in the world and in its former territory, by
pretending to be visiting aliens that want to help (or harm as the
case may be) humanity.

Of course, this entire operation would not be believed if we had bases
on the moon, or mars, or if we had widespread use of nuclear powered
commercial aircraft and automobiles.

In any event, with neutron mediated nuclear transformations, the
nuclei created as a result of adding a neutron must release more
neutrons to have the possibility of a self-sustaining chain reaction.
When these conditions are met given the speed of the nuclear process,
ALL of a given mass of reacting material is converted to reaction
products and lots of energy - in a very short time - millionths of
second. All that must be done is to set them off.

To achieve this with a neutron flux system, a critical mass is
required. Less than this mass will allow neutrons to leave the mass
before they contribute to the process. More than this mass assures
the prompt conversion of the entire mass to reaction products and
energy.

The first atomic bomb design - the Thin Man - or Little Boy - consists
of two cannons pointed at one another with shells made of sub critical
fissile material. The second atomic bomb design - the Fat Man -
consists of a spherical or cylindrical shell surrounded by shaped
plastic explosive - to compress that shell to criticality. The third
design - Small Man - compresses a solid subcritical mass to higher
density - bringing it to criticality that way.

As mentioned above neutron mediated fusion can occur. That is, given
a strong source of neutrons, a wide range of lightweight materials can
be packed around a bomb to enhance its yield. Understanding these
processes give rise to new understanding of the nucleus and from that,
new processes to build reaction cycles.

A simple and hard to achieve fusion process not involving neutrons is
thermonuclear fusion. This is how the sun works at its center.
Criticality is replaced by the Lawson criterion. That is, heat not
neutrons are the driving force. For fusion to be sustained, heat must
be added to a plasma by the reaction faster than it leaves the
plasma.

This condition is easily achieved in the Teller-Ulam bomb design.

Here, an atomic bomb is detonated at the focus of a parabolic
reflector of special design. Think of a flash light bulb at the
center of a reflector making a beam. That beam of neutrons and gamma
rays falls on an identical reflector focusing the neutrons and gamma
rays to a point offset from the original detonation point. At that
second point is placed material like Lithium Deuteride - that fuses
when compressed by intense gamma ray and neutron bombardment.

In this way, a kiloton fission yield bomb can be multiplied into a
megaton thermonuclear fusion yield bomb.

The important detail for reactor designers is the reflectors.

Those reflectors are classified.

This was an important argument back in the 1950s about making
fundamentally safe nuclear reactors.

Because two designs are possible;

A supercritical design that requires active control of neutron
absorbing control rods - that if anything at all happened to those
control rods - would lead to an irreversible melt down.

or

A subcritical design that operates with passive control of neutron
reflecting controls - that if anything happened to those reflectors -
would lead to a natural shut down of the reaction.

Widespread use of subcritical fission systems would be safe - in both
commercial and academic settings. The ability to make them critical
with neutron reflectors would allow a wide range of safe reliable
energy sources. It would also allow independent replication of nearly
all the experimental results providing a deep seated understanding of
nuclear reactions across the entire periodic table.

This would likely result in widespread use of nuclear energy.

And widespread capability for independent agencies to create new types
of nuclear bombs and new type of self propelled delivery systems.

So, the decision was taken to restrict commercial reactors to the
super-critical design.

It is likely that elements who didn't want even this within the US
military, have shaped the development of commercial nuclear power in
such a way as to lead to its eventual abandonment.

Of which stuxnet and the present reporting of the difficulties in
Japan may be the end result.


All that's needed for this to happen is for a supercritical mass to be
present.

On Mar 18, 10:19*am, wrote:
If you plot the energy per nucleon versus atomic weight of every
isotope known, you will see that everything lighter than Iron-56 gains
energy when its nucleus fuses together. * You will also see that
everything heavier than Iron-56 gains energy when its nucleus breaks
apart (fizzes). *This is the physical basis of fission and fusion
energy. * About 1% of the rest mass energy of Uranium can be released
by fission. *About 8% of the rest mass energy of Hydrogen can be
released by fusion.

So, the science of nuclear transformation can be a source of
tremendous energy for humanity. *This is why Leo Szilard, inventor of
the nuclear reactor, the nuclear bomb, and the nuclear rocket, studied
nuclear physics in the 1920s following his involvement in World War
One. *Szilard felt that confined to Earth humanity would fight and
court danger. *As a result, we would be condemned to endless war. *He
felt that if we released the power of the atom war would exterminate
humanity, while at the same time releasing those with the appropriate
drive and skills, from the confines of the Earth. *He wrote in a
letter to Jacob Brownowski in 1931,

“This was what mankind needed, if I wanted to contribute something to
save mankind, then I would probably go into nuclear physics, because
only through the liberation of atomic energy could we obtain the means
which would enable man not only to leave the Earth but to leave the
solar system.”

He achieved this end.

And there has been a fight behind the scenes ever since about how to
use this energy source going forward.

In the 1950s after World War Two, there was a fight about how much
information should be allowed into the commercial side of nuclear
energy. *There are those within the US military who didn't want any
commercial nuclear program. *There are others who didn't want any
restraint on knowledge. *We got only part of the story about nuclear
power at that time.

As is true with wiki-leaks today, the CIA and other agencies helped
shape public opinion using leaked information and then issuing press
releases about it. *Klaus Fuchs and the Rosenbergs were the scape
goats and patsies in this program. *This leak occurred at the time we
knew the Soviets would have a bomb anyway, and was spun to enlarge the
US military budgets while at the same time restricting commercial
access to needed knowledge on the basis it would be a security threat
to the US to have this information known.

Both fission and fusion release energy. *This can be done by a variety
of methods. *Neutron mediated reactions are the easiest to carry out,
but other particles and energies can be used to bring about nuclear
transformations - whether making light things heavier or heavy things
lighter. *Neutrons can for example be used to bring about fusion -
adding a neutron to a light nucleus makes it heavier, releasing
energy. *This isn't well known outside the military community since it
was argued that there are lots of easily separated isotopes that could
be used to make nuclear weapons and light isotopes are easier to
separate - deuterium for example can use a rather modest centrifuge to
separate it from protium when bound as water. *Neutrons can also be
used to destabilize large nucleii causing them to break apart. *The
most difficult to separate isotopes were offered to the commercial
sector. *The military kept the more advanced systems secret. *Those
more advanced systems went into the development of a new class of
nuclear powered aircraft. *Those were held at secret military bases
and now form the basis of a continuity of government psy op - based in
part on the proven success of War of the Worlds to motivate the public
with awe and fear - leading to the modern mythos of UFOs as outlined
by Carl Jung. *That is, the myth of the UFO is perpetrated in the
media and theater and the popular press in such a way that if the USA
ceases to exist in any conventional sense, or is challenged in any
other way, it has the resources using advanced atomic powered aircraft
to influence events in the world and in its former territory, by
pretending to be visiting aliens that want to help (or harm as the
case may be) humanity.

Of course, this entire operation would not be believed if we had bases
on the moon, or mars, or if we had widespread use of nuclear powered
commercial aircraft and automobiles.

In any event, with neutron mediated nuclear transformations, the
nuclei created as a result of adding a neutron must release more
neutrons to have the possibility of a self-sustaining chain reaction.
When these conditions are met given the speed of the nuclear process,
ALL of a given mass of reacting material is converted to reaction
products and lots of energy - in a very short time - millionths of
second. * All that must be done is to set them off.

To achieve this with a neutron flux system, a critical mass is
required. * *Less than this mass will allow neutrons to leave the mass
before they contribute to the process. *More than this mass assures
the prompt conversion of the entire mass to reaction products and
energy.

The first atomic bomb design - the Thin Man - or Little Boy - consists
of two cannons pointed at one another with shells made of sub critical
fissile material. *The second atomic bomb design - the Fat Man -
consists of a spherical or cylindrical shell surrounded by shaped
plastic explosive - to compress that shell to criticality. *The third
design - Small Man - compresses a solid subcritical mass to higher
density - bringing it to criticality that way.

As mentioned above neutron mediated fusion can occur. *That is, given
a strong source of neutrons, a wide range of lightweight materials can
be packed around a bomb to enhance its yield. *Understanding these
processes give rise to new understanding of the nucleus and from that,
new processes to build reaction cycles.

A simple and hard to achieve fusion process not involving neutrons is
thermonuclear fusion. *This is how the sun works at its center.
Criticality is replaced by the Lawson criterion. *That is, heat not
neutrons are the driving force. *For fusion to be sustained, heat must
be added to a plasma by the reaction faster than it leaves the
plasma.

This condition is easily achieved in the Teller-Ulam bomb design.

Here, an atomic bomb is detonated at the focus of a parabolic
reflector of special design. *Think of a flash light bulb at the
center of a reflector making a beam. *That beam of neutrons and gamma
rays falls on an identical reflector focusing the neutrons and gamma
rays to a point offset from the original detonation point. *At that
second point is placed material like Lithium Deuteride - that fuses
when compressed by intense gamma ray and neutron bombardment.

In this way, a kiloton fission yield bomb can be multiplied into a
megaton thermonuclear fusion yield bomb.

The important detail for reactor designers is the reflectors.

Those reflectors are classified.

This was an important argument back in the 1950s about making
fundamentally safe nuclear reactors.

Because two designs are possible;

A supercritical design that requires active control of neutron
absorbing control rods - that if anything at all happened to those
control rods - would lead to an irreversible melt down.

or

A subcritical design that operates with passive control of neutron
reflecting controls - that if anything happened to those reflectors -
would lead to a natural shut down of the reaction.

Widespread use of subcritical fission systems would be safe - in both
commercial and academic settings. * The ability to make them critical
with neutron reflectors would allow a wide range of safe reliable
energy sources. *It would also allow independent replication of nearly
all the experimental results providing a deep seated understanding of
nuclear reactions across the entire periodic table.

This would likely result in widespread use of nuclear energy.

And widespread capability for independent agencies to create new types
of nuclear bombs and new type of self propelled delivery systems.

So, the decision was taken to restrict commercial reactors to the
super-critical design.

It is likely that elements who didn't want even this within the US
military, have shaped the development of commercial nuclear power in
such *a way as to lead to its eventual abandonment.

Of which stuxnet and the present reporting of the difficulties in
Japan may be the end result.

All that's needed for this to happen is for a supercritical mass to be
present.

On Mar 18, 11:55 am, Robert Clark wrote:
:
: I found this article that gives the total of the spent fuel rods at
: the six-reactor plant as 3,400 tons, and the total fuel in the
reactor
: cores as 877 tons:
:
: Plutonium in troubled reactors, spent fuel pools.
: Published March 18, 2011
: Associated Press
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/03...nt-fuel-pools/
:
: The amount of fuel at Chernobyl was only about 170 to 180 tons. So
: these spent fuel rods have the potential to release 20 times as much
: radioactive material as at Chernobyl.
: Also, we can no longer be assured the containment vessels will hold
: around the reactor cores since at least one and perhaps two appear
to
: have been cracked by the hydrogen explosions. If that radioactive
: material is also released it would then total 25 times as much
: radioactive material as at Chernobyl.
:
: Bob Clark

1% of that 3400 tonnes in spent fuel as being plutonium is 34 tonnes
or merely 5000 thermonuclear bombs worth. Gee whiz, what could
possibly go wrong, not to mention the 7% Pu in their MOX fuel that’s
in the badly damaged No.3 reactor vessel, plus those other two badly
damage reactor vessels is worth at least another hundred bombs.

All that's left is for Godzilla to show up.

So do tell us, William Mook, where's that nifty Mokenerg hydrogen
that'll only cost us $100/tonne?

Why are you holding out?

http://translate.google.com/#
Brad Guth, Brad_Guth, Brad.Guth, BradGuth, BG / “Guth Usenet”