Subject: PHYSICS BACKGROUND OF NUCLEAR POWER Teacher

Subject:
PHYSICS BACKGROUND OF NUCLEAR POWER
Teacher:
Professor Bronisław Słowiński, PhD, DSc.
Number of hours: 30
Semesetr: 8 or 9
Kod:
Liczba pkt. kredytowych
Preceding subjects: Basic subjects
Kind of examination: test
MOTIVATION
Nuclear power is a unique kind of production of electricity and heat on a large
scale, which does not consume oxygen and does not produce carbon dioxide, and, as a
consequence, it does not create the greenhouse effect. So, it does not disturb the
ecological balance of our planet which regenerative ability is diminishing quickly. The
presently working nuclear power fulfills the condition of sustainable development
although its possibilities are used to a small extent only. Contemporary nuclear physics
presents the possibility for absolutely safe and practically wastless nuclear power of
future generation. Moreover, this subject has also assumed a practical importance
because in 2021-2 is planned the start-up of the first nuclear power plant in Poland
which is hoped to balance the power regime and to increase the power safety.
PROGRAM
1. Basic characteristics of atomic nuclei. The most important distribution of
Universe. Nuclear forces and their properties. Nuclear models. The stability of atomic
nuclei, nuclear decays. Nuclear interactions. Qualitative analysis of nuclear reaction
mechanisms. An epitome of nuclear physics in the framework of quantum mechaniques.
2. Nuclear reactors. Reactor operation. Physics processes in nuclear reactors:
parameters of critical reactors, physics phenomena of operating reactor, control, heat
generation and removal.
3. Problems of safety of nuclear reactors operation. Radioactive waste, its
passivation and utilization. Current trends of development of safe and ecologically
acceptable nuclear power, hybrid reactor systems, subcritical reactor assemblies driven
by accelerators.
4. Supplementary problems: interaction of radiation with materials, radiation
detection and the outline of nuclear radiation dosimetry.
Basic bibliography:
1. Raymond L.Murray. Nuclear Energy. Pergamon Press.1988.
2. A.Hrynkiewicz. Energy. Challenge of XXI century. Ed. by Jagiellonian University,
Krakow, 2002 (In Polish: Energia. Wyzwanie XXI wieku. Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu
Jagiellońskiego. Kraków 2002).
3. B.Słowiński. Lectures on Nuclear Energy (electronic version in Polish). 2005.
4. E.E.Lewis. Fundamentals of Nuclear Reactor Physics. Elsevier Inc. 2008.