Qasem, Faruq
Professor Murray
UNIV 112
03/06/2015
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What is Radioactive Nuclear Energy? [Faruq Qasem]
Radiation is a subject that is interesting and dangerous at the same time.
Countries are afraid of other countries that have nuclear weapons. However, we have
to know where radiation comes from and why it is dangerous. According to the
nuclear energy book, “Many heavy elements are radioactive. An example is the decay
of the main isotope of uranium, in the reaction; the particle released is (alpha)
particle, which is merely the helium nucleus. The new isotope of thorium is also
radioactive” (Murray .29). Radiation is when the nucleus of an atom breaks down and
emits energy in the form of waves.
All elements on the periodic table release radiation, which depend on the halflife of the element. According to Raymond L. Murray, each compound releases some
form of radiation but there are different times between the rates of decay from one
compound to another. The time of decay is called the elements half-life, which can
take many years. A half-life means that you will have the half of the original amount
of the element once it reaches its half-life (25). All of the elements have a half-life
that is long. Carbon has a half-life of about 5731 years. For example, if you have 2 kg
of carbon now, it is going to be 1 kg after 5731 years. Before I picked this source I
read about the author and I found many interesting things. The author of the book has
P.HD in nuclear energy and his name is professor Raymond L. Murray. He is a
professor emeritus of nuclear engineering at North Carolina State University. He
wrote 3 books; one of which is, “Nuclear Energy- An Introduction to the Concepts,
Systems, and Applications of Nuclear Processes”. This book has 7 editions, and this
Qasem, Faruq
Professor Murray
UNIV 112
03/06/2015
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one is the sixth. The universities, like North Carolina State University, use this book
when teaching nuclear engineering students.
Radiation comes from nuclei but, how can the nucleus release radiation by it
self? There are two ways that a nucleus can release radiation. The first way is through
the use of a neutron. A nucleus takes a neutron from another nucleus and uses that to
break down its nucleus to release radiation. The second way to release radiation is
through the use of γ-ray beams. The γ-ray beam works the same as the neutron when
releasing radiation. Through both of these processes nuclear is created thought the
release of radiation. According to Mueller, J.M. Ahmed, M.W. Weller, H.R., by
neutrons or high-energy can made the nuclear energy, and the part of the nuclear
energy process is through some neutrons to atoms to make nuclear energy (57).
There is another way to produce radiation by removing the electrons that are
free floating around the nucleus. When you remove these electrons from the atom
radiation is then released but it is a weaker form of radiation. If we could produce
radiation on a large scale then, once it is collected, it can be used for anything. One
way that this type of radiation can be used is to make laser beams. These laser beams
are created when the amount of radiation that is collected reaches its maximum.
According to Mueller, J.M. Ahmed, M.W. Waller, H.R., we can collect the power
from neutrons and electron to make laser beam, and the power of the laser depends on
the amount of the stored energy (58).
Once you have collected radiation, how do you know that you have radiation?
According to Mueller, J.M. Ahmed, M.W. Waller, H.R., There are many ways to
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Professor Murray
UNIV 112
03/06/2015
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detect the radiation, but the newest one is the process of photofission of non-fissile
actinides to detect the radiation (61). Photofission is when gamma rays are absorbed
by the nucleus causing it to split. The article, Nuclear Instruments and Methods in
Physics Research A, goes further into the process of photofission. The authors
(Mueller, Ahmed and Waller) of “Nuclear Instruments and Methods In Physics
Research” have done a lot of observations and experiments about nuclear energy.
They wrote about 28 books on nuclear energy and nuclear detectors, and they each
wrote about 50 articles own their own. Their names were put in the National Nuclear
Data Center. This book talks about their experiments and how these experiments help
determine if radiation is present.
After determining if radiation is present, the question then becomes can radiation
transfer from one place to another? This question was then answered when, in
Fukushima, there was a nuclear disaster resulting in a nuclear meltdown. Many experts
conducted studies and discovered that air, water, food, and trees could transfer
radiation. According to 2014 by Makiko Orita, Naomi Hayashida, Hiroshi Nukui,
Naoko Fukuda, Takashi Kudo, Naoki Matsuda, Yoshiko Fukushima and Noboru
Takamura “As a result of the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant
(FNPP) on 11 March 2011, a huge amount of radionuclides, including radio cesium,
was released and spread over a wide area of eastern Japan” (Makiko et al. 8) and “The
Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare of Japan initiated food monitoring on March
16, just after the accident, and set provisional regulation values for contaminated food
and water on March 17 [12]. On March 21, the government announced a ban on sales
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Professor Murray
UNIV 112
03/06/2015
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of raw milk shipped from Fukushima and neighboring prefectures” (Makiko et al. 8).
Once the government learned of the contamination, they took the necessary steps to
prevent the people from buying the food and brought fresh food to them. According to
2014 by Makiko Orita, Naomi Hayashida, Hiroshi Nukui, Naoko Fukuda, Takashi
Kudo, Naoki Matsuda, Yoshiko Fukushima and Noboru Takamura “Although three
years have passed since the accident, residents around the FNPP are anxious about
internal radiation exposure due to radiocesium” (Makiko et al. 1). Radiation can
remain in the same place for a long time depending on the environment. Accidents
such as these can change people and are able to influence people’s pursuits. For
example, the authors (Makiko Orita, Naomi Hayashida, Hiroshi Nukui, Naoko
Fukuda, Takashi Kudo, Naoki Matsuda, Yoshiko Fukushima and Noboru Takamura)
of “Internal Radiation Exposure Dose in Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture After The
Accident at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant” were a group of graduate
students from Nagasaki University. Some of them were working in a hospital as
nurses, but after the Fukushima disaster they changed their focus to find a cure for
people who were exposed to the radiation. Their article is based on their three years of
research about the Fukushima disaster.
Finally, are people at risk of exposure to radiation on a daily basis? If so, what
percent of the population and what percent of nuclear factory workers are exposed?
There was a leak in a nuclear factory and the radiation impact on five staffs of the
workers, from that a journalist written this article and explained the two questions.
There is different of percent between the people and the workers. According to the
5
Qasem, Faruq
Professor Murray
UNIV 112
03/06/2015
times newspaper, people living in Britain are exposed to natural radiation on average
about “2.6 millisieverts” per year, while the average for a nuclear factory worker is 20
per year (Lister). The average exposure of radiation for the people is less than the
workers in the factory.
Due to these accidents, the world became afraid of nuclear energy, even if it was
intended to produce energy. Today, people still have conflicting views about radiation
and its uses. David Lister, an experienced journalist of 25 years and fellow member of
the royal society of arts, wrote and article for the times. According to the times
newspaper “Instead of burdening future generations with even more deadly waste, the
Scottish government should be doing everything possible to support and invest in the
sort of clean, green energy sources technologies of the future…”(Lister). Radiation
can have both negative and positive outcomes depending on how it is used. Radiation
in my opinion is good because human beings can use it as a cure for cancer, and to
detect some metals and petroleum in the earth.
Annotated Bibliography
1- Linster, David. “Nuclear Tests Amids Fears of Another Leak”. The Times
[London]. 18 Oct. 2005: 25. Web. 21Feb. 2015.
This journal article was found using a Lexis Nexis, using the search terms
“nuclear test amid fears” [Faruq Qasem]
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Professor Murray
UNIV 112
03/06/2015
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2- Murray, Raymond. “Atoms and Nuclei, Radioactive”. Nuclear Energy: An
Introduction to the Concepts, Systems, and Applications of Nuclear Processes. 6th
.2009. 19-29. Safari Books Online. Web. 24 Feb, 2015.
This book was found using a database Safari books online, using the search terms
“nuclear energy” [Faruq Qasem]
3- Makiko, Orita. Naomi Hayashida, Hiroshi Nukui, Naoko Fukuda, Takashi Kudo,
Naoki Matsuda, Yoshiko Fukushima and Noboru Takamura.” Internal Radiation
Exposure Dose in Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture After The Accident at
Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant”. 1st. Plos one. 2014. 1-7. Web. 25 Feb.
2015.
This article was found using a Academic Search Complete, using the search terms”
Radiation Exposure in Iwaki City” [Faruq Qasem]
4- Mueller, J.M., M.W. Ahmed, H.R. Waller. “A Novel Method to Assay Special
Nuclear Materials by Measuring Prompt Neutrons From Polarized Photofission”.
Nuclear Instrument & Methods in Physics Research.1ST ed. North-Holland:
Amsterdam, 1984. 57-62. Web. 28 Feb. 2015.
This book was found using a VCU Libraries (main box Search), using the search
terms “nuclear methods” [Faruq Qasem]