nuclear

This nuclear reactor is different from everyone else. It has been expressly designed for data centers

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The proliferation of large data centers for artificial intelligence (AI) raises a very serious energy problem. Both, in fact, that the US Department of Energy is considering the possibility that companies that have large data centers Dedicated to the training of AI models install in their vicinity A small nuclear power plant that is able to meet your energy needs. This strategy would also reinforce the US bet for energy sources that do not emit greenhouse gases. What is not clear is yet what investment the technology companies and what subsidies will contribute the government will assume. At the moment some of the great technology firms have already invested in nuclear energy, although not necessarily in fission. Microsoft, for example, It has an agreement with Helion Energy to obtain in the future energy from its reactors of nuclear fusion. An extra modular reactor adapted to the needs of data centers The image we have published on the cover of this article is a recreation made by the American company Aalo Atomics of its extra modular reactor Aal Pod. This machine has a lot in common with SMR reactors (Small Modular Reactro compact modular reactor) of which We have spoken to you in other articlesbut, according to its creators, they uncheck of the latter in something very important: its modularity is even greater. This peculiarity is precisely the According to them It makes it suitable for data centers. However, the reactor of Fourth Generation Nuclear Fission Aalo POD has another quality that, on paper, is very attractive: its enormous flexibility. And, again according to his designers, he can work in a completely independent way of the electricity grid, coupled to it, and even, hybrid. In this way, the owners of the data centers can use the strategy that better solves their needs by balancing the electricity produced by the reactor and the one that is capable of giving them the existing electrical infrastructure. Sounds good. Each Aalo POD incorporates five aal-1 micro-recruitors matched with a single electricity generating turbine The prototype that Aal Atomics has made known is capable of delivering 50 MWE (electric megawatts), but its modularity allows you to climb this machine to be able to deliver several hundred MWE, and even thousands of MWE. The image we have is a recreation, but it allows us to intuit what the architecture of this reactor is. Interestingly, it looks more like a linear particle accelerator than a conventional nuclear fission reactor. An interesting note: Each Aal POD incorporates five micro-recruitors Aal-1 paired with a single electricity generating turbine. However, this is not all. The heart of the Aalo Atomics strategy consists in developing a production technology that allows to manufacture the modules of each Aal Pod Industrial and chain. As if they were cars. Or reaction turbines for airplanes. According to this company, this approach will allow them to install their reactor with the data centers in less time, occupying less space and for less money than a conventional SMR reactor would cost. In addition, again according to Aalo Atomics, each micro -reactor can be resumed at any time without the need to stop others with which it is matched and refrigerated by sodium, so it is not necessary to have a water source close. The promises of this company on paper paint well. Now the important thing is to materialize everything you have announced in a final product that lives up to expectations. Data centers continue to proliferate. And they don’t rest. Image | Aalo Atomics More information | Aalo Atomics In Xataka | Nuclear fission has been waiting for a type of fuel to take off. And he already caresses it with the tip of the fingers

The largest nuclear power plant in Europe has been closed by the war in Ukraine. Now the United States wants to reopen

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At the beginning of the Ukraine War, the first thing the Russian Army did It was taking control of the largest nuclear power plant in Europe: Zaporiyia. During these three years, the Kremlin has established a military base and has been the objective of attacksso it has remained closed. Recently, the United States has decided to reopen this booty. Your part of the cake. There was no agreement with any of the two parties around To the rare earthsnow the focus is positioned in the largest nuclear power plant in Europe. In a telephone call, Trump suggested to Zelenski that the United States could help to manage, and possibly possess, Ukraine nuclear energy plants, according to a statement by the US presidential administration to which which has had access Reuters. All this to guarantee the energy security of Ukraine. The problem with “property.” From the same medium They have pointed out that the problem came with the word: “property.” The Ukrainian president has revealed that he would have no problem that the US investing money, only in the Zaporiyia nuclear power plant to rebuild it once again recover it. However, reject in a resounding way Give the central because they do not want to lose energy sovereignty in the country. A strategic central. The control of the largest nuclear power plant in Europe has reinforced Moscow’s power over the region, making it an energy pressure tool. According to The Washington PostRussian Foreign Minister has declared that the transfer of the central to any other nation is “impossible”, a position that highlights the strategic importance. A great loss for Ukraine. The largest nuclear plant in Europe is a great booty of war. In fact, for the nation of Zelensky it has meant a very large loss, since before the occupation it represented 20% of the country’s electrical production, such as They have reported in The Washington Post. In addition, the Ukrainian nation is now forced to allocate its limited resources to avoid a nuclear crisis. However, since the Russian occupation it has remained closed. Security problems From the closure of the plant, both parties They have accused mutually bombarding her repeatedly, so they had to close it for the risk of attacks and the growing concern for the integrity of cooling systems. Until today, the nuclear power plant has not produced energy again and has been negatively reflected in the Ukrainian electricity network. Can it be reactivated? The central was operated by Energoatom a Ukrainian public society. Its executive director, Petro Kotin, has warned in an interview for The Guardian on the problems that exist safely restart the Zaporiyia nuclear power plant. The senior executive stressed that there is a lack of trained personnel, the damage to infrastructure and the insufficiency of cooling water, after the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam in 2023 reduced access to the water of the Dnieper river. In an assumption that Ukraine recovered control of the central, Kotin explained that the restart process would take a long time between two months and two years, depending on the state of the nuclear plant. Moscow’s position. Russia has made it clear that it has no intention of giving control of the Zaporiyia plant and has plans to reactivate the plant, but it has not yet specified when it would happen. According to The Washington Postthe future of the Zaporiyia plant remains one of the main challenges that will define not only the energy balance of the region, but also the course of the Ukraine War. Image | DPA Germany Xataka | A Russian drone has opened one of the greatest engineering works. The problem: it was the sarcophagus of Chernobil reactor 4

700 tons of nuclear waste have arrived in Germany from England. Germans are not quite happy

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A very particular shipment has landed on the German coasts. The special ship for the transport of nuclear waste Pacific Grebe docked in the port of Nordenham, northwest of Germany, transporting highly radioactive waste from the United Kingdom. Upon arrival, It was received by antinuclear activists and a strong police device. The controversial delivery. In total, seven castor nuclear containers, each four meters long and with a weight of more than 100 tons. More than 700 tons of nuclear waste in total only with this shipment. It’s about high -level waste (HLW) subject to a vitrification process. That is, mixed with liquid silicates and sponsored in stainless steel cylinders that are sealically sealed once the glass solidifies. These cylinders are then introduced into Castor containers, made of cast iron and stainless steel, a robust armor against radiation. They are German waste. The remains of the reprocessing of nuclear fuel used in former German centrals, which until 2005 was sent to facilities such as Sellafield’s in the United Kingdom and Hague, in France. Although Germany closed its last nuclear centrals in 2023, it has the contractual obligation to recover waste. This is the second of the three shipments planned from Sellafield to complete the repatriation of German nuclear waste. The first arrived in 2020 and was stored in Bibliis. Shipments from France concluded in November 2024. Once in Nordenham, Castor containers are moving with cranes to a special train. Before embarking on the ground, technicians make measurements to ensure that radiation levels comply with legal limits. The train takes the remains to a Intermediate storage In Narderaichbach (Bavaria), next to the old nuclear power plant in ISAR. The exact route remains a secret for security reasons. Why protests? The arrival of new waste has revived the debate and nuclear opposition in Germany. Groups like Ausgestrahlt (“Irradiada”) and Castor-Stoppen (“Stop the Castor”) have organized the protests. They argue that every movement of these materials “entails a huge risk” and criticize that the waste moves to Temporary storesinstead of waiting to have a deep geological cemetery definitive. Move them now, They say“only postpone the problem and do not solve it”, and ask that the waste only transports once towards their final destination. More protests are expected along the route that will presumably follow the train, including cities such as Bremen and Göttingen. There is a strong police deployment around these transports. The temporary stores. Germany faces the challenge of managing about 27,000 cubic meters of accumulated radioactive waste for 60 years of nuclear energy. For now, these materials are stored in 16 temporary stores distributed throughout the country. The search for deep geological storage to bury them definitively is underway, but it is a long and complex process, As Finland has demonstratedwhose example now follows countries that are closing their nuclear plants; Germany and Spain at the head. In short. Germany is fulfilling its international obligations by bringing its own nuclear waste back. It is what promised the United Kingdom and France. But each shipment reopens the wound of an unresolved problem: the lack of a permanent and safe home for the most delicate legacy of its nuclear era, which generates restlessness and protests between part of its population. Image | Download a Castor container in 2001-Dennis140 (CC-BY-SA) In Xataka | Switzerland will come true the invention of Nobel Carlo Rubbia: a nuclear power plant that reduces 80% of radioactive waste In Xataka | France has presented a striking plan for its nuclear waste: converting them into forks and pans

The US was prepared for total destruction in the cold war. This map for nuclear apocalypse illustrates it

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The launch of Nagasaki and Hiroshima atomic bombs It was a turning point. Practically, marked the end of the Second World War while starting a Cold war in which the United States and Russia were carried away by nuclear ecstasy. The two powers engaged in a nuclear career without controlbut it is not that they developed the crazy bombs: there were also lists of enemy objectives. And on an interactive map prepared by Future of Life We can see about 1,000 objectives to which the United States would launch a nuclear bomb. But there were many more. The map. In 2015, a study of the United States Strategic Air Command was declared – SAC – that showed a thousand potential objectives in the case of nuclear war. If this possibility flew over the heads of some with the recent Ukraine War, imagine the stage in a cold war in which you could have the feeling that the enemy could squeeze the “button” at any time. There are more than 800 pages in which the objectives of these strategic bombings with nuclear weapons are detailed to erase any enemy presence. In it map From the George Washington University we can not only appreciate some of the main objectives, but the secondary objectives of each of them. For example, if we select Berlin, we can see the objective list And consequences of that study of 1956. Beyond the cities, another priority was the aerodromes, keys to a Soviet counterattack, specifically those located in Belarus. Easting east. Apart from military objectives such as strategic points and aerodromes, the listIt includes more than 1,200 cities of the Soviet block. It is where we can see that more dots are gathered on the map of Future of Life and range from cities of Eastern Germany to China. Moscow would fall into the Red Square, directly (and on this map we can see the Impact of different bombs in any city). The Asian giant, will fight or not next to the Soviet block in case of war, was something that did not matter to SAC. He treated them as hostile, selecting military objectives, but also the Beijing capital. And something that several of the bombed cities have in common is that the SAC already assumed objectives of “population.” The bombs. The plan was well mounted because there was not only a list of objectives, but also the type of weapons that would be used. They would use a combination of atomic and thermonuclear weapons with yields between 1.6 to 15 megatons. Far from the 50 megatons of the Soviet Zar pump, but much more than the 16 kilotons of Little Boy and the 21 kilotons of Fat Man, which wreaked havoc in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, respectively. The megabomba. We have talked about the tsar pump, or tsar bomb, and in the United States there was also talk of it in 1956. It is not only the bomb that has caused the largest nuclear explosion so far, but it was 3,000 times more powerful than ‘Little boy’. The Russians had that bomb and the United States wanted an equal. In the declassified material, it is detailed how the SAC wanted a 60 megatones bomb. Not only did they identify him as something key in order to be tremendously deterrent but, in case of Soviet surprise attack, they could launch it at a strategic point to “ensure significant results even with a very small force.” In that nuclear ecstasy, the nuclear physicist Edward Teller (“Father” of the bomb H) proposed 1,000 metatones dissositive and up to 10 gigatons. 10 gigatons equals explosive power 670,000 times greater than that of the Hiroshima bomb. Luckily they did not do it, since affirmed that “would contaminate the earth”In the end, the US did not develop such a monstrous bomb. Nor the 60 megatones that the SAC wanted. And the media. And, within the plan, it also specified how the pumps would be launched. There were two systems: for the delivery of B-47 bombers, the United States would use its bases in the United Kingdom, Morocco and Spain. They would also use the B-52 from the US, although they were starting their journey. For the missile system, the eyelets would be loaded in the Snark, Rascal, Cross Bow and IRBM missiles. The first was a failure in the evidence and the great priority of President Eisenhower were the IRBM. These intermediate -reach ballistic missiles projected scope of up to 2,700 kilometers and the idea was to deploy them and throw them from the United Kingdom. Insured mutual destruction. But well, the United States had its Soviet axis attack plan, but the USSR also had its own. In the Soviet plans the Western military infrastructure, the industrial centers and large cities in both the US and its allies entered. They would do it by hydrogen pumps, tactical pumps that could mount on torpedoes and missiles released from mobile platforms. But although the logic could not reign in the massive development of weapons, the fear and that position of both ‘Mad’ countries did, or ‘insured mutual destruction’ that marked that, if a country launched a nuclear attack, automatically the other would respond with a proportional force. This led to threats over the years (such as the deployment of American missiles in Türkiye and Italy or the subsequent crisis of Cuba missiles, but fortunately it did not reach more. And what happens today. In 1986, the two countries reached the zenith of their nuclear arsenal and, from that moment, they dismantled much of their arsenal. The USSR came to have more than 40,000 heads while the United States reached 23,317, but as we say, different pacts and that tension that dissipated with the fall of the Berlin wall caused them to get rid of much of its arsenal. The problem is that other countries -china- have developed and are found enhancing its own nuclear arsenaland in recent years there is a kind of new … Read more

What if the constants of the universe are not so constant? We have taken an important step to know. The key is on the nuclear clock

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Atomic watches have meant a before and after in our ability to measure time in an outraged way. These types of watches are precise at such a level that some of the most exact ones would be discouraged in less than a second at the time in which the universe has been existing. Despite this, these watches are not precise enough to solve one of the most important unknowns in physics. Closer to the nuclear clock. Now, however, we are a little closer to achieving a milestone that can open the door to solve this type of doubts, Nuclear watches. These watches will allow us to advance several orders of magnitude in the creation of time measurement apparatus, ultra -precise watches to investigate the new physics. From atomic to nuclear. The nomenclature can lead to confusion, and when we talk about atomic watches and nuclear watches we are not talking about the same technology. While the mechanism of atomic watches depends on the state of excitation of the atom electrons; in the Nuclear watchesthis depends on the particles in nucleus. As its name indicates. Atomic watches depend on the transitions in the state of their electrons. When they absorb energy, they can “jump” in their state. Jumps that can be reversed, only when this occurs, it is the electron that emits energy in the form of electromagnetic radiation. Something similar occurs in the nucleus of atoms, only that, being the most isolated nucleus of other physical interactions external to the atom, the transitions of their subatomic particles would be even more precise and reliable than those that occur in the atomic “shell” formed by electrons. Torio-229. To make a nuclear clock work, we also need to transfer energy to the atom, to its nucleus, of course. When we hit the nucleus with a specific frequency of electromagnetic radiation, we can change its energy state, as if it were a switch. Nuclear watches, such as atomic, would only have to tell the energy changes in this context. The problem is that causing these jumps in the atomic nucleus is also more difficult. The main difficulty is to excite atomic nuclei enough to cause the “jumps.” To do this we must hit these coherent X -rays nuclei, a high frequency X -ray type and therefore high energy. So much that, in general we do not have the necessary instruments to produce them. “In general”. And, as with electrons, not all these “jumps” require the same energy. Almost half a century ago, researchers realized that the isotope atomic nuclei Torio-229 (229th) It had a jump that required the energy equivalent to that of ultraviolet light. When requiring less energy, building a laser capable of transferring energy to the nucleus, it became Something feasible. Half a century of work. The “Nuclear Transition” of Torio It was discovered in 1976. But that was just the beginning. And it would not be until 2016 that we would observe and measure it. Measure it is key, since if we want to force the transition we must know the exact frequency with which we have to “bombard” the atomic nucleus of this isotope to be able to force it and activate the process. How close are we really? A few months ago, a group of researchers He tested Some of the key elements behind this technology, which allows us to get an idea of ​​how close we are to be able to create a nuclear clock based on 229th. The team tested an ultraviolet laser capable of creating precise energy to force jumps in the state of the nucleus. He also studied a “frequency grid” to directly measure these jumps. In addition, they also studied the transition from Torio-229. The details of the study were Published in an article In the magazine Nature. From dark matter to universal constants. And all this for what? Do we really need more precise watches than atomic? The truth is that this new technology would have important benefits, first for the scientific community, but also for all citizens. These watches They can help us to improve technologies such as GPS and other navigation systems; And also global Internet synchronization, also making the connection faster and safer communications. We would also open the door to more precise measurements that help us clarify some of the mysteries that persecute physicists such as dark matter. Maybe more importantly, these watches could help us develop experiments that resolve One of the most important doubts of physics, the one of universal constants They are really constant And they do not change depending on factors such as the age of the universe or the frame of reference in which we find ourselves, as we until now assumed. In Xataka | Cosmologists are increasingly clear where the most energy particles in the universe come from Image | Nsit

a nuclear missile and a survival manual for the nation

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Germany was the first nation in Europe that seemed to have gotten to work with the “rearme.” That several car factories, for decades the engine of their economy, were becoming Military Armament Factoriesleft little doubt about it. In fact, the budget they have announced allocate in defense It is historical. Now it has touched France, who does not seem to go with mediacias. Multiply nuclear deterrence. Paris has announced the creation of a Fourth Nuclear Air Base In Luxeuil, to the east of the country, as part of an ambitious plan to strengthen its independent dissuasion capacity of the United States in the framework of NATO. This base, which at the time was at risk of closing, will house two squadrons of Rafale f5 fighters equipped with ASN4G hypersonic missilesan investment of 1.5 billion euros which marks a significant expansion of its nuclear arsenal. The decision responds to a tense geopolitical context, in which The war in Ukraine and uncertainty about American commitment to European defense They have led Paris to assume a more leading paper in the safety of the continent. An autonomous strategy within NATO. Currently, the French Air Force operates three nuclear bases in Saint-Dizier, Istres and Avord, which house approximately 50 Rafale B fighters armed with ASMP-A nuclear missiles and supported by Airbus A330 MRTT Phénix. The incorporation of 40 additional rafale f5 In Luxeuil it implies a substantial increase in France’s nuclear capacity, which could translate into a Increase in the total number of eyelets operational In addition to being compatible with the new ASN4G missiles, the Rafale F5 will be equipped to Operate in conjunction with drones Combat, an innovation that reinforces the French strategy strategy and greater stealth. These fighters, designed to remain in service until 2060, will consolidate the French air nuclear capacity, keeping it at the technological avant -garde against emerging threats. Pressure on Germany. The announcement of the nuclear expansion coincided with the Macron visit to Germanywhere he met with European leaders, while in parallel Trump and Putin maintained bilateral conversations. A context that suggests that France seeks not only to strengthen its own nuclear deterrencebut also to press Germany and other NATO members to increase Your investment in defense. Berlin, as we said at the beginning, is in the process of Eliminate restrictions Constitutional to military spendingwhich opens the door to that narrower cooperation in nuclear deterrence. In this sense, France has been exploring the possibility of display nuclear weapons in Germanya measure that could materialize if the United States reduces its commitment to European security. Of course, establishing a nuclear base in German territory would raise political and strategic challengesmaking the expansion within France a more viable alternative for the moment. ASN4G missiles. One of the key elements, if not the one that most expansion is the development of ASN4G hypersonic missile (Air-Sol Nucléaire of 4e Génération), which will exceed Mach 5 and will have A scope of more than 1,000 kilometerstwice the reach of the current ASMP-A. In comparison, the ASMP-A reaches Mach 3 with a maximum range of 500 kilometers and is equipped with a 300 kilotons thermonuclear load. Again, this technological advance positions France at the forefront of air nuclear deterrence in Europe, providing it with a faster attack capacity, of greater scope and difficult to intercept. In addition, the incorporation of formed fuel tanks and radar signal reduction systems in Rafale F5 its stealth and capacity will increase of penetration in hostile environments. And a survival manual. In parallel to this “increase” in nuclear deterrence, the French government is preparing the sending of A “Survival Manual” to all homes of the country with instructions on how to act in the face of imminent threats, such as armed conflicts, but also for health crises or natural disasters. This initiative, still pending approval by Prime Minister François Bayrou, seeks to strengthen the resilience of the population and ensure that citizens know how to react in case of emergency. It is expected that the document, of 20 pages, be distributed before summer and serves as a preparation guide against increasingly plausible crisis scenarios in the current context. Content of the manual. We had seen it before in Nations like Germany. In this case, the manual will be divided into three key sectionsproviding citizens with detailed information on self -protection and community protection measures, including the importance of having a family emergency plan. Also on actions to be taken before an imminent threat, such as maintaining closed doors and windows in case of nuclear attack, as well as a list of emergency numbers and essential radio frequencies. Finally, the content adds options to contribute to civil defenseencouraging registration in reserve units, volunteer firefighters and other crisis response groups. Plus: The document will recommend to citizens prepare a “survival kit”, which must include six liters of water, at least a dozen food cans, batteries, flashlight and basic medical supplies (such as paracetamol, gauze and saline solution). An uncertain future. Both the manual and the rearme are still a symbol of the New France position Faced with global challenges. With a Europe more and more vulnerable to conflicts, energy crisis and natural disasters, Macron seems to bet on a more prepared and resilient society, while reinforcing the military capacity of the country. In addition, with the decision to strengthen its nuclear capacity through the Luxeuil Base, the Nation sends a clear message: it is willing to assume strategic leadership in European defense, adapting to an increasingly unstable global environment. That distant plan that in 1959 Charles de Gaulle devised In the middle of the cold war again sounds strongly. Image | Aleem Yousaf In Xataka | In the middle of the Cold War, France designed a nuclear rearme plan for Europe. Now sound strongly In Xataka | The “rearme” of Europe has begun in a Volkswagen factory in Germany: instead of cars they will produce tanks

It is the gamma radiation of nuclear waste

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Research in The field of batteries It does not cease. And it is understandable that it is so. The popularization of the electric car requires that these energy storage devices have The best possible benefits. As we suggest in the headline, the protagonist of this article is a technology that pursues Develop nuclear batteries For electronic devices. This idea is the fruit of an investigation developed by a group of engineers from Ohio State University (USA). In the article they have published in Optical materials: x They argue that it is possible to use the radioactive waste resulting from the activity of the fission reactors in operation to generate the electricity that many electronic devices require. “We are taking advantage of something that is considered a waste and trying to transform it into a treasure,” has declared Raymond Caonuclear engineer and one of the authors of the article. To test their idea they have manufactured a small prototype battery that has an approximate volume of 4 cubic centimeters. Its plan consists of introducing CESIO-137 or cobalt-60, two radioactive chemical elements that are usually the product of nuclear fission, with the purpose of using Gamma radiation They emit for Generate a small amount of electricity. Its prototype delivered 288 nanovatos with Cesio-137 and 1.5 microvatts with cobalt-60. It is evident that it is very little electricity, but these scientists are able to improve their technology enough to feed some not very demanding electronic devices, such as small sensors or monitors that require little maintenance. In any case, they do not propose these batteries for the consumer market. If they manage to refine their technology, they maintain that it can be used on devices housed near the facilities in which the radioactive residue occurs, such as, for example, inside the nuclear plants. On the other hand, they ensure that their battery can be handled safely and will not contaminate the environment. Gamma radiation is very penetrating, which will force them to put a very robust protective enclosure. In addition, they leave another question in the air: it is not clear what the useful life of such a battery will be. Gamma is a form of ionizing radiation Radioactivity is the process of natural origin that explains how An atomic nucleus Unstable loses energy in the attempt to achieve a more stable state. And to achieve this emits radiation. Around the nucleus orbit one or several elementary particles even much more tiny and with negative electric charge to which we call electrons. The nucleus, in turn, is made up of one or more protons, which are particles with positive electric charge. The simplest atom That we can find in nature is that of Protio (Hydrogen-1), an isotope of hydrogen that has a single proton in its nucleus and a single electron orbiting around it. The problem is that matter is not composed only of protio, but also of many other more complex and heavy chemical elements, and that, therefore, have more protons in their nucleus and more electrons orbiting around it. How is it possible that there is more than one proton in the nucleus If all of them have a positive electric charge? The reasonable thing is to think that they could not be close together because having the same elementary electric charge would repel. And yes, this idea is consistent. Those responsible for solving this dilemma are neutrons, the particles that live with the protons in the atomic nucleus. The Higgs field is a fundamental interaction that explains how particles acquire their mass Unlike protons, neutrons have neutral global electric charge, so they do not “feel” either repulsion or electromagnetic attraction to which protons and electrons are exposed. The function of neutrons is none other than stabilizing the nucleus, allowing several protons to live in it that, otherwise, would repel. And they manage to do so thanks to the action of one of the four fundamental forces of nature: strong nuclear interaction. The other three forces are electromagnetic interaction, gravity and weak nuclear interaction. Physicists usually place this same level The Higgs fieldwhich is another fundamental interaction that explains How particles acquire their massbut to facilitate their understanding, the texts usually collect as fundamental forces the four that I have mentioned a little higher because they are somehow with which we are all familiar. The nucleones, which are the protons and neutrons of the atomic nucleus, manage to stay together and overcome the natural repulsion that protons face because the presence of neutrons allows strong nuclear force to exercise as a glue capable of imposing itself to electromagnetic force. Strong nuclear interaction has a very small reach, but at short distances its intensity is enormous. The important thing about all this is that neutrons, as I advanced a few lines above, act stabilizing the atomic nucleus, so that as an atom has more protons, it will also need that in its nucleus there are more neutrons so that the attractive strong force manages to impose itself to the repulsive electromagnetic force. Interestingly, the balance between the amount of protons and neutrons is very delicate. An atom is stable if its nucleus has a precise amount of nucleons and the distribution of these between protons and neutrons allows strong nuclear interaction to act as “glue.” For this reason in nature we can only find A finite amount of chemical elements: those that collect the periodic table with which we are all to a greater or lesser extent familiar. Any other combination of protons and neutrons would not allow to maintain that fine balance, giving rise to an unstable atom. What differentiates a stable atom from an unstable one is that in the nucleus of the latter the strong nuclear interaction and electromagnetic force are not in equilibrium, so the atom needs to modify its structure to achieve a state of less energy that allows it to adopt a more stable configuration. A stable atom is “comfortable” with its current structure and … Read more

China intimidates in nuclear fusion. The construction of its own iter advances at full speed

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The way to a destiny as challenging as the nuclear fusion Commercial must necessarily be full of small conquests. Of achievements that may seem modest, but that, in reality, are milestones that place us a little closer to an ambitious goal that does not pursue anything other than help us solve our energy needs without continuing to emit greenhouse gases. In this context Iter monopolizes much of attention. And it is understandable that it is so. After all, it is a project with a huge wingspan, which is also led by the European Union. In fact, this organization is assuming together approximately 50% of the total cost of a plan in which the United States, Russia, China, Japan, India and South Korea also participate. However, the commitment of public origin for nuclear fusion is not condensed only in Iter. And it is not limited only to the European Union. Not much less. Europe is pointing Very important scientific milestonesbut there are other countries that are also being very high, and that, precisely, do not move in the orbit of the West. In fact, two of them, probably the most outstanding, are China and South Korea. The Chinese experimental reactor CFETR is extraordinarily promising China that, as we have seen, actively participates in Iter’s tuning, has been engaged in the development of an experimental nuclear fusion reactor for several years at least as ambitious as the latter. It’s called CFETR (Chinese Fusion Engineering Testing Reactor), A denomination that we can translate as a test reactor for Chinese fusion engineering. The engineers of the country led by Xi Jinping completed their conceptual design in 2015 taking as a starting point the Chinese fusion reactors East, HL-2a (M) and J-Text. The experts of the commission that certifies nuclear facilities have approved the first section of the vacuum chamber CFETR has much in common with Iter. In fact, it aspires to complement the machine that is being built in the French town of Cadarache, and, at the same time, it is nourished by the knowledge generated during the design and development of Iter. Anyway The construction of the CFETR reactor It is already underway. And advances at a very good pace. In fact, just two days ago the experts of the Chinese commission that certifies the nuclear facilities gave the final approval to the first section of the reactor vacuum chamber. This is the gigantic component that we can see in the cover photography of this article. The CFETR reactor vacuum chamber will consist of seven other sections such as this, will have a height of 20 meters and will be made of stainless steel of very low carbon content. Inside, fusion reactions between the deuterium and tritium nuclei will occur that will be magnetically confined in a plasma that will exceed 100 million degrees Celsius. The most interesting thing is that this machine will operate in two phases. During the first of them, he will prove that he is able to generate up to 200 MW of energy, as well as sustain a tritium production ratio greater than 1. This simply means that will produce more tritio than consumeso he will be able to self -abuse from this radioactive hydrogen isotope. During the second phase of operation, the CFETR reactor will pursue more than 1 GW of power, so it will become a demonstration machine that, if everything goes well, will be happened by the first commercial fusion energy plants. Image | Xinhua News More information | China Science In Xataka | Spain’s milestone in nuclear fusion: the first plasma produced by the Smart reactor invites us to optimism

SMR reactors are the great promise of nuclear energy. The United States pilot project has failed

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Fission energy based on small modular reactors (SMR) is the great promise to complement renewables in the energy transition. But the failure of the first pilot project in the United States has highlighted the economic challenges that could stop its development. The advantages of SMR. With nuclear fusion energy in diapers, the promise of a safer, cheap and efficient fission nuclear excites political leaders and technological equally. SMRs have clear benefits regarding conventional fission reactors: they are Compact unitsdesigned to be manufactured in series; Therefore, in theory, they can be transported and assembled rapidly, adapting to different locations to integrate into the electricity grid together with intermittent sources, such as solar panels and wind turbines. The Nuscale case. With their compact size and modular design, SMRs should considerably reduce the cost and construction times of large nuclear reactors. However, reality proved to be more complicated For the first pilot project in the United States. The Nuscale project, developed by the Nuscale Power company for small Utah communities, was canceled at the end of 2023, when it was supposed to be inaugurated, due to its crazy cost overruns. It had been projected in 2015 with 12 reactors capable of generating 600 MW of power for 3,000 million dollars. By 2023, The planned capacity of the plant had been reduced to 462 MW and the estimated project costs had climbed up to 9.3 billion dollars. He became unfeasible. A scale problem. Despite their modular nature and the aspiration to produce them in series, SMRs are an emerging technology that does not have the advantages of the scale economy, as renewables do. A German report He revealed that SMRs remain the most expensive option against renewable technologies, whose costs continue to decrease This already happened with conventional nuclear energy. A 2014 study He revealed that 180 nuclear projects analyzed, 175 had exceeded their initial budget with an average overrun of 117%. The SMR can be expected, at least initially, also raise the cost per megavatio compared to other more settled options. Many interested. Despite these financial challenges,The industry sees potential in SMR. Giants like Google, Microsoft and Amazon They have announced agreements to acquire energy from future projects of modular reactors of companies such as Kairos Power and X-Energy. These investments, driven by the energy consumption of artificial intelligence, could provide the financial impulse that the industry needs to solve long -term economic problems, with the expectation that costs decrease as more projects are built. Image | Nuscale Power In Xataka | Europe does not want to lose the SMR nuclear reactors train. This is your formula to deploy them in 2030

He has just announced his first nuclear submarine

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Russia and North Korea have been idilio with All types of gifts. It all started in April 2024, when we saw Kim Jong a A armored limousine that came with Moscow loop. Since then, between both nations they The “packages” have happened: tigers, bears, raw, missiles, soldiers… lack of official confirmation, everything seems to indicate that the fears of the United States and its allies about the “nuclearization” of Korean with Russian aid is underway. There are even photos of the last “toy.” The first nuclear submarine. North Korea has confirmed that he is building Your first nuclear submarine with the aim of strengthening its attack capacity with atomic weapons. In A report Published on the weekend by the state agency KCNA (Korean Central News Agency), the images showed the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspecting a part of what seems to be the new submarine, one of significantly larger size than those currently owned by the Nation. No doubt, the announcement occurs in a context of growing international concern, especially in the United States and South Korea, since both nations fear that Russia is providing Technological support to Korea from the north to modernize its army in exchange for Supply of troops and weapons conventional for the War in Ukraine. The context of the project. What we officially know is that, during his visit to an unidentified naval shipyard, Kim Jong-un He received a report on the advances in the construction of the “strategic submarine of guided nuclear propulsion missiles”. The state media also spread photographs in which the helmet of said submarine under construction is observed, which would mark the first time North Korea shows visual evidence of a nuclear submarine in development. In this regard, it is known that the nation has dozens of submarines of the Soviet era, All diesel-electricalwhich means that they must frequently emerge to recharge their batteries, limiting their autonomy and stealth capacity in long -range missions. Hence, a nuclear propulsion submarine is A paradigm shift that would allow Pyongyang to operate covert in distant waters, approaching without being detected to strategic objectives and, if necessary, launch nuclear missiles from unexpected positions. Possible characteristics. The submarine could belong to the class 6,000 to 7,000 tons and transport up to 10 missiles, According to Moon Keun-SikSpecialist in Submarines and Professor at Hanyang University in Seoul. Obviously, the mention of “guided strategic missiles” in the report suggests that the boat would be designed to Port nuclear weaponswhich would significantly increase the attack capacity of North Korea. As we indicated before, if this project materializes, it would give Pyongyang the ability to launch missiles from a submerged platform, which would make the early detection of its attacks more difficult by its rivals. In fact, the United States National Security Council, through its spokesman Brian Hughes, said that I was aware of the statements North Korea, although it did not provide additional information. “The United States is still committed to the complete denuclearization of North Korea,” he reiterated. Kim’s wishes. We said it at the beginning. Since 2021Kim Jong-un identified the construction of a nuclear submarine as one of the priorities of its defense policy. However, until now, analysts have indicated that the nation lacked the technical and engineering capacity to develop a compact nuclear reactor capable of propeller a submarine. That year the “leader” presented A “wish list” which included intercontinental ballistic missiles of solid fuel, hypersonic weapons, spy satellites, missiles with multiple nuclear heads and finally nuclear propulsion submarines. What has changed? Moscow. Russia appears. With the growing military cooperation Between Pyongyang and Moscow, the possibility that Russia provides technological assistance in exchange for the Thousands of soldiers and large amounts of ammunition that North Korea has sent to support the Russian invasion in Ukraine. According to Yang Moo-JinPresident of the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, this strategic exchange is the one that will significantly accelerate the development of the North Korean nuclear submarine. The expert in submarines Moon Keun-Sik argued that Russia was behind providing technological assistancepossibly in the construction of a compact nuclear reactor to propel the submarine. He even ventured to estimate that if North Korea manages to complete development, the submarine could be tested in the next one or two before its operational deployment. The precedent of 2023 and the doubts. The announcement of this new submarine comes after North Korea will present in 2023 Its first “nuclear tactical attack submarine”, a model based on an old diesel submarine of the Soviet era, supposedly modified to launch nuclear missiles. The problem? That the South Korean army He expressed skepticism On the viability of the vessel, pointing out that its design seemed defective and not very operational. To date, in fact, there is no evidence that North Korea has managed to launch missiles From that platform. In contrast, the new submarine, according to experts, seems to be a larger size to the 2023 model And it would take the title of “Strategic Submarine of Guided Missions of Nuclear Propulsion”, which suggests that it would be designed to launch both nuclear ballistic missiles and cruise missiles. Strategic implications and danger. If North Korea manages to successfully develop an operational nuclear submarine, it would significantly change the military balance in the region, increasing Pyongyang’s capacity to perform those surprise attacks that we commented and hindering the detection of its launch platforms. In addition, the possibility that Russia and North Korea Expand your cooperation military generates a serious concern for the United States, South Korea (and Japan), which could face a more sophisticated and difficult threat to counteract in the coming years. Although there are still doubts about the real ability of North Korea to complete a project of these characteristics without foreign assistance, the growing relationship with Moscow suggests that the Kim Jong-un regime could be closer than ever to achieve that strategic weapon that gives it greater deterrence of deterrence (and extortion) in the global geopolitics. Image | Korean Central … Read more

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