Nuclear waste management - 5PMGACE0

Goal(s)

The management of the nuclear wastes due to nuclear energy production is a key issue of this industry. The goals of these lectures are to introduce the fundamental notions to then present the physics of the transmutation and incineration processes, together with the behavior of current and future nuclear reactor technologies while introducing minor actinides in their fuel; finally to discuss the available options to reduce the risks linked to the long-lived radioactive wastes.

Content(s)

Part 1 - Introduction: Fuel Cycles

• Radioactivity and radioprotection
• Nuclear: classification and production
• The fission products
• The transuranic elements: plutonium and minor actinides

Part 2 - The physics of transmutation and incinération

• Case of the fission products
• Case of the plutonium
• Case of the minor actinides (Np, Am, Cm)

Part 3 - R&D activities towards future reactor concepts
(Generation 4 reactors and Accelerator Driven Systems

Nuclear physics and reactor physics