Final report: Accelerated beta decay for disposal of fission fragment wastes

Reiss, Howard R.

Physics Department, American University, Washington, DC (United States)

关键词: Radioactivity;    Acceleration;    Radioactive Waste Disposal;    Decay;    Interactions;   

DOI  :  10.2172/807793
RP-ID  :  None
RP-ID  :  FG02-96ER12195
RP-ID  :  807793

美国|英语

来源: UNT Digital Library

【 摘 要 】

The fundamental theory of the interaction of intense, low-frequency electromagnetic fields with certain radioactive nuclei has been fully formulated. The nuclei are of the type that exists in high-level radioactive wastes that are end products of the production of energy from nuclear fission. The basic physical mechanisms that underlie the coupling of the applied field to the nucleus have been identified. Both the basic theory and numerical predictions that stem from it support the conclusion that high-level radioactive wastes can be disposed of by substantially accelerating the rate of radioactive decay. Some old experiments on the acceleration of this type of radioactivity, with results that were not understood at the time, have been re-examined. Their interpretation is now clear, and the experiments are found to be in agreement with the theory.