Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/02/02

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Subject: [Leica] Re: Nuclear power (was RE: LUG Digest, Vol 31, Issue 221)
From: chs2018 at med.cornell.edu (Chris Saganich)
Date: Thu Feb 2 10:37:37 2006
References: <200602021639.k12Gc75D031645@server1.waverley.reid.org> <fededdd5839708ceec785fb29002969a@shaw.ca> <013f01c62821$20f81980$2501a8c0@jblack> <4cfa589b0602021017g3a250731hacc188572ca46674@mail.gmail.com>

Don't forget about creating an oral tradition in the communities near the 
burial sites.  They will still want to know its down there 10,000years from 
now.

Chris


At 01:17 PM 2/2/2006, you wrote:
>Hmmm - I can't see a plasma furnace as doing anything to the nuclear
>properties of the isotopes - creating a plasma means pulling off one
>or more electrons to create an excited gas. That's all chemical,
>however, it's the properties of the atomic nucleus that determine
>radioactivity and I can't see making a plasma affecting the nuclear
>properties at all. Not nearly enough energy.
>
>The discussions I have heard about "burning" waste involve using a
>very high neutron "flux" to change the fission fragments into
>different nuclides which will decay much more slowly with much less
>nasty high-energy radioactivity. But it takes a BIG neutron source to
>do this - and I've only heard it discussed in terms of how to use
>fusion plants to make a sufficient number of neutrons to burn out the
>old fission high-level waste and convert it into low-level waste. It
>would work but we dont' have the neutron sources to make it happen.
>
>Adam
>
>
>On 2/2/06, John Black <jblack@ambio.net> wrote:
> >
> >
> > > Some of the past and present solutions to this waste seem inadequate
> > > and short sighted.
> > > Others are more credible, but considering the consequences of mistakes,
> > > I remain skeptical
> > > and would prefer development of other options.
> > >
> >
> > What ever happened to the process of burning the waste in a plasma 
> > furnace
> > that converts it to harmless byproducts? As I understand it, plasma
> > temperatures completely disrupt the atomic structure of the radioactive
> > waste (or anything for that matter) into a high energy soup of subatomic
> > particles which, when cooled, revert to more harmless substances.  I 
> know it
> > take a lot of temperature to run a plasma furnace but the bulk of the 
> > waste
> > is not that great.
> >
> > Perhaps I misunderstood the process.
> >
> > JB (who lives downwind of Oak Ridge)
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Leica Users Group.
> > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
> >
>
>
>_______________________________________________
>Leica Users Group.
>See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information

Chris Saganich, Sr. Physicist
Weill Medical College of Cornell University
New York Presbyterian Hospital

Ph. 212.746.6964
Fax. 212.746.4800
A0049 



In reply to: Message from bruent at shaw.ca (Bruce) ([Leica] Re: Nuclear power (was RE: LUG Digest, Vol 31, Issue 221))
Message from jblack at ambio.net (John Black) ([Leica] Re: Nuclear power (was RE: LUG Digest, Vol 31, Issue 221))
Message from abridge at gmail.com (Adam Bridge) ([Leica] Re: Nuclear power (was RE: LUG Digest, Vol 31, Issue 221))