Nuclear Politics Midterm

What does the atomic number represent?

the number of protons in the nucleus

Which charge do protons maintain?

Postive

What charge do Neutrons maintain?

Neutral/No Charge

What charge do Electrons maintain?

Negative

When does ionization occur

ionization occurs when atoms gain or lose electrons

What is atomic mass?

the mass of a single atom, determined by adding up the protons and neutrons

What is atomic weight?

the average mass across all isotopes

Protium is how many protons and how many neutrons?

1 proton, 0 neutrons

What is an isotope?

An element with the same number of protons, but different number of neutrons

Deuterium is how many protons and how many neutrons?

1 proton, 1 neutron

Tritium is how many protons and how many neutrons?

1 proton, 2 neutrons

What is a half-life?

the amount of time it takes for half of the unstable material to decay

What are the four types of radiation?

Alpha particles, Beta particles, Neutrons, or Electromagnetic waves

Alpha particles contain how many protons and how many neutrons?

2 protons, 2 neutrons

Neutrons are?

Irradiative

What are the four fundamental forces in order from weakest to strongest?

Gravity, Weak, Electromagnetism, Strong

The Weak force is responsible for what?

Radioactive Decay

What is Electromagnetism force?

The interaction between charged particles

The strong force is...?

The glue that holds the pieces of the atom together

What is Nuclear Fission?

the breaking down of an atom into smaller, lighter nuclei

Radioactive decay can be seen as...?

a natural form of nuclear fission, where unstable isotopes breakdown into stable isotopes

What is Nuclear Fusion?

the process of combining two nulcei to form a singular, heavier nuclear, resulting in the release of kinetic energy and radiation

What are the 3 naturally occurring isotopes of Uranium?

Uranium-238 ~99.3% (not fissile), Uranium-235 ~0.7% (fissile), Uranium-234 ~

What are the 5 main isotopes of Plutonium?

Plutonium-238, Plutonium-239, Plutonium-240, Plutonium-241, Plutonium-242

What is the half-life of Pu-238 and is it fissile or fertile?

Half-life 88 years, fertile

What is the half-life for Pu-239 and is it fissile or fertile?

Half-life 24,000 years, fissile

What is the half-life of Pu-240 and is it fissile or fertile?

Half-life 6,560 years, fertile

What is the half-life of Pu-241 and is it fissile or fertile?

Half-life 14.4 years, fissile

What is the half-life of Pu-242 and is it fissile or fertile?

Half-life 374,000 years, technically fissile but not very good

What does Pu-238 alpha decay to?

U-234

What does Pu-239 alpha decay to?

U-235

What does Pu-240 alpha decay to?

U-236

What does Pu-241 beta decay to?

Am-241

What does Pu-242 alpha decay to?

U-238

What are the 6 steps to the Nuclear Fuel Cycle?

Uranium Recovery

Conversion

Enrichment

Deconverted

Fabricated

Disposale

What is Uranium Recovery?

Uranium is mined, and Milled to concentrate uranium oxide U3O8

What is the Conversion process?

Converted into Uranium Hexafluoride UF6, during the conversion UF6 is gaseous, cools to liquid, and then solid after a few days, the solid is then shipped to an enrichment plant

What is the Enrichment process?

Heated up into gas, then UF6 undergoes enrichment to filer between U-235 & U-238, We need more U-235 accessible

What are the 3 methods of enrichment

gaseous diffusion, gaseous centrifuge, laser seperation

What is Gaseous Diffusion?

Keeps U-238 trapped and lets U-235 up

What is Gaseous Centriguge?

Centrifugal Force separates the atoms

What is the Deconversion stage?

It makes depleted fuel less toxic to store, extracts the fluoride from the UF6

What is the Fabrication stage?

Concentrated into mixed oxide fuel, reactor controlled by moderators like cadmium-coated rods

What are Generation 1 reactors?

Pressurized water reactors, 50s-60s, almost all decommissioned

What are Generation 2 reactors?

Backup water pumps, more efficient, 60s-90s

What are Generation 3 reactors?

longer life span, more safety features

What are Generation 4 reactors?

Advanced, small modular reactors

What is Fission Energy Powered by?

Enriched Uranium

What is Fusion Energy Powered by?

Fusion Energy does not yet exist

What is Needed to make a Nuclear Weapon?

Delivery System, Fuel, Weapon Design, Personnel, Test Site

What are the 3 types of Fission Weapons?

Gun-type

Implosion-type

Boosted Nuclear Weapon

What is a Gun-type Fission Weapon?

Shoots one piece of sub-critical material into another, High amounts of Uranium required, Very low efficiency, Example: 'Little Boy' (Hiroshima)

What is an Implosion-type Fission Weapon?

Explosive lenses, Compresses a radioactive core, Beryllium/Plutonium Core, Example: 'Fat Man' (Nagasaki)

What is a Boosted Nuclear Weapon?

Small amounts of fusion needed, Neutrons induce a fission reaction, more efficient

What are Modern Nukes?

A type of Fusion Weapon, pushes two atoms together to create a new elements, triggered with fission

How does a nuclear reactor work?

Water boiled, converted to steam, causes turbines to spin, generates electricity through the conversion of kinetic energy

Types of Tactical Nuclear Weapons

Short Range Missiles, Artillery Shells, Depth Charges, Torpedoes

What are the most powerful nuclear weapons with the highest yield?

Those that are focused on deterrence through MAD

What does the Nuclear Triad consist of?

ICBMs (intercontinental ballistic missiles), SLBMs (Submarine launched ballistic missiles), Strategic Bombers

What are the four spots where Nuclear Weapons have been tested?

Land, atmosphere, underground, space

What might low exposures of radiation cause?

Might damage chromosomes, cause nausea, fatigue, raises risk of leukemia or lymphoma

What might mid exposure of radiation cause?

might cause hair loss, thyroid issues, cancer, temporary male sterility

What might higher levels of radiation exposure cause?

can destroy cells in the blood, reproductive organs or hair, can damage bone marrow, intestines, can cause oral hemorrhaging

What might major levels of radiation exposure cause?

heart failure, eradication of bone marrow, permanent female sterility, nerve cells and small blood vessels are annihilated, resulting in death in days

09/29/1957, The Mayak nuclear fuel processing plant experienced disaster when the cooling system failed, Dried Radioactive material overheated, and exploded coating the town of Ozyorsk in radioactive particles, took a week before 10,000 residents were evacuated - Which Nuclear Disaster?

Kyshtym, Russia

10/10/1957, Plutonium producing reactor, uranium-filled graphite core had caught on fire, workers prevented a full meltdown, event is believe to be connected with causing ~240 cases of cancer - Which Nuclear Disaster?

Windscale, UK

03/28/1979, Due to a mix of mechanical and human errors, radioactive cooling water spread throughout the facility, core nearly went into a meltdown, radioactive steam coated nearby cities in Pennsylvania - What Nuclear Disaster?

Three Mile Island, US

07/16/1979, Thousands of tons of radioactive waste spilled from an underground uranium mine spilled into land and water of the Navajo Nation - What Nuclear Disaster?

Church Rock, US

04/26/1986, a power surge blew a 1,000 ton steel top off of the reactor, a massive cloud of radioactive material coated Pripyat, dozens died attempting to stop the crisis - What Nuclear Disaster?

Chernobyl, Ukraine

03/11/2011, The largest undersea earthquake caused a tsunami the struck this plant, 3 reactors shutdown successfully, but backup power and cooling systems failed, causing partial meltdowns - What Nuclear Disaster?

Fukushima, Japan

The Manhattan Project has operation centers located where, and what purpose did they serve?

Oak Ridge, Tennessee - to enrich uranium and serve as headquarters

Hanford, Washington - to produce plutonium

Los Alamos, New Mexico - to build and test the bombs

International attention turns from fascism to communism, as what war begins?

The Cold War

What is an Arms Race?

A competition between two or more states involving military innovation or security elements

3 Examples of Arms Races?

Britain and Germany's naval arms race (Anglo-German Naval Arms Race), US v USSR cold war arms race, USA and China AI arms race

What is the Spiral Model?

A state believes another state is seeking to overtake them so State A builds up in return, starting the spiral

What is the Deterrence Model?

State A believes that State B is seeking to equalize and does not build up, and State B takes advantage of that

What do realists believe to be causes of war?

Classical realists might explain war via Human Nature

What do neorealists believe to be causes of war?

Structural anarchy, security dilemmas, transitions in power, competition

What do Liberal theorists believe to be causes of war?

lack of institutional engagement

What do Feminist theorists believe to be causes of war?

structural, both interstate and interpersonal, inequalities

What do Constructivists believe to be causes of war?

competing identities/idea, the belief that wars can lead to change

What do rationalists believe to be causes of war?

they see it as a failure to compromise

3 reasons why the Bargaining Model fails?

The problem of asymmetric information, the problem of credible commitments, the problem of indivisible issues

What is the problem of asymmetric information?

Liars, misrepresentations, misinterpretations

What is the problem of credible commitments?

Lack of trust, lack of an ability to make future commitments

What is the problem of indivisible issues?

Fighting over something that cannot/will not be divided or shared

What is Brute Force?

complete destruction, conquest, enslavement and death

what is Coercive Force?

Limited destruction, targeted violence focusing on specific targets, deterrence and compellence

How many Nuclear Weapon States are there?

5 legitimate, 4 illegitimate

What is Institutional nonproliferation?

bilateral and multilateral agreements in international legal settings

What is Coercive nonproliferation?

acts utilizing military or covert means to subdue efforts of nuclear proliferation

the organization charged with monitoring compliance with the NPT

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

the atomic number of an element represents this amount of subatomic particles within the nucleus

Protons

What is the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT)?

An international agreement that seeks to prevent horizontal proliferation.

What does the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) prohibit?

Further nuclear weapons sales, acquisitions, or production.

what are the 3 pillars of nonproliferation?

nonproliferation, peaceful use, disarmament

A bilateral agreement between the US and USSR to limit anti-ballistic missile systems

Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty

A bilateral agreement between the US and USSR to limit nuclear tests to devices below 150kt yield

Threshold Test Ban Treaty

The Supply Model

Nuclear proliferation is explained by the available supply of necessary materials

Demand: Security Model

States will proliferate if they are under significant threat