fuel rod

Since it began operating in 1950, Sellafield has had different duties. First it manufactured plutonium for nuclear weapons. Then it generated electricity for the National Grid, until 2003. It also carried out years of fuel reprocessing: extracting uranium and plutonium from nuclear fuel rods after they’d ended their life cycles.

Over the years, the railway has been the safest way to move hazardous chemicals, radioactive waste, fuel for Royal Navy nuclear submarines and imported fuel for reprocessing, as well as flasks containing fuel rods to and from British power stations.

2023 December 27, Ben Jones, “Inside Sellafield... by rail”, in RAIL, number 999, page 21:

A long zirconium tube, filled with pellets of uranium oxide, stacked in bundles inside a nuclear reactor as fuel.


electron capture

en-noun

electron capture (plural electron captures)

(physics) A nuclear reaction in which an electron (either free, or from the shell of the atom itself) is absorbed into a nucleus, a proton being converted into a neutron in the process


astatate

(inorganic chemistry) The anion AtO₃⁻; any salt containing this anion.


astatide

(inorganic chemistry) A binary compound of astatine and another element.


perastatate

(inorganic chemistry) The anion AtO₄⁻; any salt containing this anion


Purex

Shortening of plutonium uranium extraction.

A chemical method used to purify fuel for nuclear reactors or nuclear weapons, based on liquid–liquid extraction ion-exchange.


neutron activation analysis

neutron activation analysis (countable and uncountable, plural neutron activation analyses)

(inorganic chemistry) An analytical technique that measures the decay of elements when bombarded with neutrons

Neutronenaktivierungsanalyse

technique to measure the decay of elements


decay chain

(nuclear physics) A series of nuclides, such that one nuclide radioactively decays into another, which decays into another, and so on, until a stable nuclide is reached. For example, uranium-238 must undergo eight alpha decays and six beta decays in order to become stable lead-206; intermediate nuclides include uranium-234, radium-226, and radon-222.


pluto-

From combining form of Ancient Greek πλοῦτος (ploûtos, “wealth, riches”).


pertechnetic acid

(inorganic chemistry) A strong oxoacid of technetium with chemical formula HTcO₄.


tuballoy

(historical) Natural uranium in the refined condition.


oralloy

Highly-enriched uranium
highly-enriched uranium

(nuclear physics, historical) Highly-enriched uranium.


lexidronam

(medicine) Any of a class of chelation complexes (normally of radiosamarium) used to control in bone cancer cases


moly cow

From moly (informal term for molybdenum) + cow. The word cow alludes to the fact that the device “milks” technetium-99m from molybdenum-99: see quotations.

When the ⁹⁹Tcₘ isotope is needed for medical imaging purposes, it has to be created on the spot because its half-life is only six hours. This is done using a device filled with longer-lived ⁹⁹Mo, which decays into ⁹⁹Tcₘ, continually replenishing the supply within the device. Because the process of removing the accumulated ⁹⁹Tcₘ is called "milking", the device is informally known as a "moly cow."

2012, Theodore [W.] Gray, The Elements: A Visual Exploration of Every Known Atom in the Universe, New York, N.Y.: Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers, →ISBN:

The radioactive isotope molybdenum-99 (half-life of 66 hours) decays to generate technetium-99m, which has a half-life of only six hours and is used in hospitals for medical imaging. The technetium isotope collects in various parts of the body, in particular bone. Scanners detect the radiation from the isotope to create an image, enabling diagnosis. The process uses a device that is filled with Mo-99, which decays into Tc-99m, forming a continuous supply that is ‘milked off’. The device is nicknamed the ‘moly cow’.

2013, Paul Parsons, Gail Dixon, The Periodic Table: A Field Guide to the Elements, London: Quercus, →ISBN:

Clearly, transporting the daughter in equilibrium with the parent is a more economical, safer, and environmentally friendlier approach. This is the reason that "technetium generators," dubbed "moly cows," are transported around the globe instead of the ⁹⁹ᵐTc isotope.

2013 November 6, Chary Rangacharyulu, “Radioactivity”, in Physics of Nuclear Radiations: Concepts, Techniques and Applications, Boca Raton, Fla.: CRC Press, →ISBN, page 43:

(chemistry, medicine, informal) A device used to extract from a source of decaying molybdenum-99 the metastable isotope ⁹⁹ᵐTc of technetium, which is the most commonly used medical radioisotope.


betavoltaic

pertaining to electricity of beta rays from beta radiation due to beta particles


graser

Acronym of Gamma Ray Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation.

acronym

The Russians are working on the graser. One B. V. Chirkov has published a theoretical study in the Soviet Journal of Experimental and Theoretical Physics. He thinks a very pure crystal, "pumped" with a powerful source of radiation (such a "hard" X rays), much as a ruby crystal is pumped with high-intensity light in one form of laser, could be stimulated to emit coherent gamma rays—pulses of high-energy radiation perfectly in step.

1964 February, Wallace Cloud, “Science newsfront”, in Popular Science Monthly, volume 184, number 2, →ISSN, page 29:

Not lasers. Grasers. Gamma Ray Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation.

1974 October, Harlan Ellison, “Adrift Just Off the Islets of Langerhans: Latitude 38° 54' N, Longitude 77° 00' 13" W”, in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, volume 47, number 4, page 59:

electromagnetic radiation
electromagnetic radiation

(physics, science fiction) A device for the coherent amplification or generation of electromagnetic radiation in the gamma ray wavelength by the use of excitation energy in resonant atomic or molecular systems.


tickle the dragon's tail

en-verb

tickle the dragon's tail (third-person singular simple present tickles the dragon's tail, present participle tickling the dragon's tail, simple past and past participle tickled the dragon's tail)

tickles the dragon's tail (present singular third-person)
tickling the dragon's tail (participle present)
tickled the dragon's tail (participle past)
tickled the dragon's tail (past)

Los Alamos National Laboratory
Louis Slotin

From the obvious risk of tickling a dragon's tail. In physics, it was coined by American physicist Richard Feynman to describe the experiments of Louis Slotin at Los Alamos National Laboratory.

coin

The laboratory head tickles the dragon's tail whenever we have guests as a show of machismo.

Every real boy likes to tickle the dragon's tail. Maybe I was a little old for it, but that's what I was doing there in the Moran III jungle. I got the shield off my cigarette lighter and jerked out the dinky little damper rods for the pile and started easing the two little bricks toward each other with the point of my lead pencil

1957, Jim Harman, “Break a Leg”, in Galaxy Magazine, volume 6, numbers 1-6, page 130:

PHYSICIST SLOTIN (manipulating the two hemispheres of the bomb at a table): Come closer. Watch me tickle the Dragon's tail

1993, James Erwin Schevill, 5 Plays 5, page 52:

And so it happened that Japan and the United States had also tickled the dragon's tail. The two subcritical masses called pride and cultural misunderstanding had been shoved together into one critical mass.

1995, George Robert Caron, Charlotte E. Meares, Fire of a Thousand Suns: The George R. "Bob" Caron Story, page 219:

Were this assembly functional, a person might manipulate the bricks of the radiant castlelike structure to slow down the neutrons, to "tickle the dragon's tail," as Morland writes

2003, Jonathan P. Binstock, Jim Sanborn, Atomic Time: Pure Science and Seduction, page 13:

(nuclear physics) To bring two subcritical masses close together in order to find the edge of criticality.


radwaste

en-noun

radwaste (countable and uncountable, plural radwastes)


quasi-stellar radio-source

quasi-stellar radio-source (plural quasi-stellar radio-sources)

From quasi- + stellar + radio + source, from its appearance as a point-like object similar to a star, which is also a source of radio-energy, but with a spectrum unlike that found in a star.


radium jaw

A disease, with necrosis of the jaw and bleeding of the gums, caused by the ingestion of radium and its subsequent absorption into the bones.


(physics) A radioactive isotope, ⁸⁵₃₆Kr, having thirty-six protons and forty-nine neutrons


Chernobyl syndrome

Mistrust of nuclear energy technology as a result of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.


radioactivation

radioactivation (countable and uncountable, plural radioactivations)

The conversion of something into a radioactive form.


radiopharmacy

radiopharmacy (countable and uncountable, plural radiopharmacies)

(countable) A pharmacy that dispenses radiopharmaceuticals.


photoirradiation

Materials that can be deformed by photoirradiation are not unknown, but generally consist of polymer films and gels and are rather slow-acting.

2007 April 17, Henry Fountain, “In Arctic Foxes, Clues to Effects of Shrinking Habitat”, in New York Times:


radiosynthesis

radiosynthesis (countable and uncountable, plural radiosyntheses)

The automated production of radioactive compounds.


cosmic infrared background

cosmic infrared background (uncountable)

low-level infrared radiation originating from all directions in space


nuclear isomer

(physics) Any of two or more atomic nuclei with the same mass number and atomic number but with different radioactive properties


radiometabolism

The scientific study of metabolism using radioactive markers.


daughter isotope

daughter isotope (plural daughter isotopes)

daughter nuclide
daughter nuclide#English


coronarography

(medicine) An X-ray of the coronary arteries


(physics, medicine) The radioactive isotope of iodine, ¹²⁵₅₃I, having a half-life of 59 days; used as a radiation therapy.


radiomitigation

Mitigation of the harmful effects of radiation.


polonide

(inorganic chemistry) Any binary compound of polonium and a more electropositive element.


chernobylite

(mineralogy) A technogenic crystalline zirconium silicate containing uranium as a solid solution, discovered in the corium produced by the Chernobyl nuclear accident.


radiofluorinate

en-verb

radiofluorinate (third-person singular simple present radiofluorinates, present participle radiofluorinating, simple past and past participle radiofluorinated)

radiofluorinates (present singular third-person)
radiofluorinating (participle present)
radiofluorinated (participle past)
radiofluorinated (past)

(chemistry) To fluorinate using a radiofluorine compound


radiofluorination

(chemistry) fluorination using radiofluorine


NORM

Radon in homes is one occurrence of NORM which may give rise to concern and action to control it, by ventilation.

2016, World Nuclear Association, (Please provide the book title or journal name):

Initialism of naturally occurring radioactive materials.


radiumizer

(historical) A device for treating water with radium, once believed to have health benefits.


radiumize

radiumize (third-person singular simple present radiumizes, present participle radiumizing, simple past and past participle radiumized)

radiumizes (present singular third-person)
radiumizing (participle present)
radiumized (participle past)
radiumized (past)

(transitive, rare) To treat with radium.


YORP effect

From the first letters of the surnames Yarkovsky, O'Keefe, Radzievskii and Paddack + effect. Coined in 2000 by American geophysicist David Perry Rubincam.

(astrophysics) The effect of solar radiation on an asymmetric asteroid or other small body whereby its rate of rotation increases, potentially leading to the object's eventual disintegration.


radiothermoluminescence

en-noun

radiothermoluminescence (countable and uncountable, plural radiothermoluminescences)

For low-density polyethylene (LDPE), two radiothermoluminescence scintillations peaked at –120 and –40°C.

2002, Kenneth E. Bower, Yuri A. Barbanel, Yuri G. Shreter, Polymers, Phosphors, and Voltaics for Radioisotope Microbatteries, page 176:

(physics) Thermoluminescence; the release of previously absorbed radiation upon being heated.


spontaneous fission

(nuclear physics) A form of radioactive decay: nuclear fission that occurs spontaneously, instead of being induced by an external stimulus.


trans-copernicium

The IUPAC/IUPAP JWP performed a critical review of the various claims to discovery of the trans-copernicium elements Z = 113, 114, 115, 116, and 118. Evidence in the cases of elements Z = 113, 115, and 118 have not met the criteria for discovery.

2011 June, Robert C. Barber, Paul J. Karol, Hiromichi Nakahara, Emanuele Vardaci, Erich W. Vogt, “Discovery of the elements with atomic numbers greater than or equal to 113”, in Pure and Applied Chemistry, volume 83, number 7:

The α–α correlation technique will fail here for element identification as already became clear with the new trans-copernicium elements.

2016, Stefan Schramm, Mirko Schäfer, New Horizons in Fundamental Physics, →ISBN, page 86:

(chemistry) Lying beyond copernicium in the periodic table; having an atomic number greater than 112.


hot cell

A shielded chamber built to store highly radioactive substances.


Radithor

(historical) A quack medicine consisting of distilled water and radium, claimed to cure impotence and other conditions, but actually causing radiation poisoning.


Radium Girl

(US, historical) A female factory worker who contracted radiation poisoning from luminous paint (containing radium) used in watch dials in the early 20th century.


nuclear meltdown

nuclear meltdown (plural nuclear meltdowns)

A severe nuclear reactor accident that results in core damage from overheating


radiodating

Determining the age of artefacts by means of radiometry.


actinate

(inorganic chemistry) Any oxyanion of actinium, or salt containing such an oxyanion


americate

(inorganic chemistry) An oxyanion of americium; a salt containing this anion


berkelate

(inorganic chemistry) Any oxyanion of berkelium; any salt containing such an anion


californate

(inorganic chemistry) Any oxyanion of californium; any salt containing such an ion


neptunate

(inorganic chemistry) Any oxyanion of neptunium; any salt containing such an ion


plutonous

(inorganic chemistry) Containing plutonium in a low oxidation state


plutonate

(inorganic chemistry) Any oxyanion of plutonium; any salt containing such an anion


polonate

(inorganic chemistry) Any oxyanion of polonium; any salt containing such an anion


promethate

(inorganic chemistry) Any oxyanion of promethium; any salt containing such an anion


protactinate

(inorganic chemistry) Any oxyanion of protactinium; any salt containing such an anion


radate

(inorganic chemistry) Any oxyanion of radium; any salt containing such an anion


radiationist

More than 100 fatalities were recorded among these pioneer radiationists. One of the earliest and now best known incidents of Industrial radiation injury is that of the radium dial painters. During and immediately after World War I, a number of women worked in a war plant painting luminous watch and instrument dials. The luminous material was a mixture of a paint containing zinc sulfide, which phosphoresces on exposure to alpha rays, and a radium salt.

1957, The Control of Radiation Hazards in Industry:

Soon after the new scheme begins, another four professions will be added including; Aboriginal health workers, Chinese Medicine practitioners, medical radiationists and occupational therapists.

2009, N Blake, “Changes to 457 Visas - Implications for Nursing”, in Australian Nursing Journal:

The expertise of qualified oncologists, radiation therapists, and diagnostic radiationists are within close proximity of the clinic and will be used as determined by individual patient needs.

2014, William Winston, Marketing the Group Practice: Practical Methods for the Health Care Practitioner, Routledge, →ISBN:

(nonstandard, rare) One whose (medical or scientific) profession is to apply radiation or radioactive material (to someone or something).

I am not subscribing here to the theory of Richet or to that of the radiationists who believe that the perception is due to radiations given off from an object or a drawing. My emphasis is rather upon the percipient. The human being is dynamic, not the target. If there are any radiations, they must stem from him. It is my firm conviction that in the personality of the percipient we shall find what will prove most valuable for the understanding of paranormal manifestations.

1955, Eileen Jeanette Lyttle Garrett, Tomorrow:

Discover these radiations for yourself. Start slowly, say for not more than a 15 minute period. Experienced radiationists work for hours on certain studies but they all started gradually. First make this test for sensitivity. Stand upright, relax and face due West. Place your left hand flat over your solar plexus — the place where the ribs join — the fingers touching each other. Now suspend the pendulum from the right hand about nine inches from the left hand and opposite the center ...

1996, Mary Elsnau, Occult Phenomena, Mysteries & Philosophy, Health Research Books, →ISBN, page 62:

extrasensory perception
extrasensory perception

(rare) One who believes in or claims to practice extrasensory perception by sensing radiation.


radioadaptive

Relating to the effect of small doses of radiation on cells that protect them from later, larger doses


radiobinding

The binding of radioisotopes (to a substrate)


chemoradiosensitivity

sensitivity to damage by chemicals or by ionizing radiation


chemoradioresistance

resistance to damage by chemicals or by ionizing radiation


radioiodinate

en-verb

radioiodinate (third-person singular simple present radioiodinates, present participle radioiodinating, simple past and past participle radioiodinated)

radioiodinates (present singular third-person)
radioiodinating (participle present)
radioiodinated (participle past)
radioiodinated (past)

From radio- + iodinate, after radioiodine.

(transitive, chemistry, medicine) To treat (a substance) with radioiodine.


radiosequencing

(genetics) sequencing with the aid of a radioactive tracer


radiophosphorylated

phosphorylated by means of a compound of radiophosphorus


radioiododestannylation

(organic chemistry) An iododestannylation reaction using radioiodine


isoeffective

Radiotherapy treatment options can be assessed by comparing the isoeffective dose of each.

Of a dose of radiation: Having the same biological effect.


radiendocrinator

(medicine, historical) A case of radium intended to be worn against the skin, claimed to treat various ailments (but actually dangerously radioactive).


radiouptake

The uptake of radiolabelled material by tissue


radioreactivity

The relative reactivity of cells or organisms to any form of radiation, but especially to the harmful effects of ionizing radiation


radioimmunoimaging

(immunology) immunoimaging by means of radiotracers


nuclear fuel

For 75 years, it has fulfilled a wide range of roles: producing weapons-grade plutonium for early atomic weapons in the aftermath of the Second World War; the world's first commercial nuclear power station supplying electricity to the National Grid; reprocessing and storage of nuclear fuel; and the processing of lower grades of radioactive waste for off-site storage.

2023 December 27, Ben Jones, “Inside Sellafield... by rail”, in RAIL, number 999, page 20:

A radioactive material, such as uranium, used to power a nuclear reactor.


radiopanspermia

(astrophysics) The propagation of life through space by way of scattering via radiation pressure of stars, or being launched into space from the source habitats via electrical and magnetic currents in the exospheres of those habitable worlds.


radiocystitis

(pathology) A form of cystitis caused by ionising radiation (typically by radiotherapy)


radiovirotherapy

en-noun

radiovirotherapy (countable and uncountable, plural radiovirotherapies)

A form of radiotherapy in which a radioisotope is delivered via an oncolytic virus


radioactinide

(physics) Any radioactive isotope of an actinide


radiolocalization

localization, typically of a tumour, by means of a radioactive tracer


radiolanthanide

(physics) Any radioactive isotope of a lanthanide


astatinate

en-verb

astatinate (third-person singular simple present astatinates, present participle astatinating, simple past and past participle astatinated)

astatinates (present singular third-person)
astatinating (participle present)
astatinated (participle past)
astatinated (past)


radioenhancement

The enhancement of radiotherapeutic efficacy


radioembolism

A radiotherapy in which radioactive nanoparticles are injected into an artery and travel to an organ (typically the liver) where they settle


radioinfusion

(medicine) infusion (perfusion) with a radioisotope


radioparticle

a particle of a radioactive material, typically of a colloidal radiotherapy


radioelectrochemical

(chemistry) radiochemical and electrochemical


radioruthenium

The absorption of radioruthenium (Ru103) and radiostrontium (Sr*) by various plant parts has been studied.

1955, Charles Glenn Johns, The Absorption and Distribution of Radiostrontium (Sr89) and Radioruthenium (Ru103) in Certain Vegetable Crops, page 22:

An accurate, reproducible method was needed for routine analysis of radioruthenium in environmental samples.

1960, Frank E. Butler, Precipitation of Radioruthenium, page 4:

The animals were killed in gaseous CO2 at 1 d, 2 d, 4 d, 6 d, 10 d or 14 d after the last radioruthenium administration.

1998, Bulletin of the Veterinary Institute in Pulawy, page 168:


radioantagonist

(biochemistry) An antagonist labelled with a radioisotope


nucleomitophobia

Coined by psychiatrist Milton Arnold Dushkin in the early 1960s, from nucleo- (“atomic nucleus”) + mito- (“mitosis”) + -phobia (“fear of”), in reference to a supposed resemblance of atomic fission to cellular division.

Nikita Krushchev's war of nerves was plainly having an effect on the U.S. citizenry... There were the usual neurotics. In Chicago, public officials received a spate of calls from women complaining that their hair curlers were radioactive, from men suspicious of the olives in their martinis. (Chicago Psychiatrist Milton A. Dushkin named the ailment "nucleomitophobia"—fear of the atom).

1961 September 29, “The People: Ready to Act”, in Time:

A physician says the Nuclear Age has spawned a new phobia—nucleomitophobia, or fear of the atom. An article in Today's Health, a magazine published by the American Medical Assn., said public officials have received a rash of calls from persons who believe they are radioactive.

1961 November 19, Cedar Rapids Gazette, page 122:

When they are frantically expanding armament and making preparations for war, and they need to create war hysteria, they encourage man-made nucleomitophobia to spread rampantly, letting people know how radioactivity is already "threatening normal life in the United States." But when they want to sell their milk, they have to try "to find ways and means to set people's minds at ease regarding the question of radioactivity." Under the capitalist system, which is characterized by irresoluble contradictions, such jokes cannot be avoided.

1963 January, Michael Freeberne, translating an article in the 1 March 1962 Hongqi (《红旗》) in "Chinese Vignettes", Problems of Communism, Vol. XII, No. 1, p. 15

Bertie Rupp, who wanted to become a farmer in his youth, is entrapped by city life and achieves brief celebrity as the man who aestheticized continuous computer stationery. Disenchantment and nucleomitophobia (an exaggerated fear of atomic Armageddon) cause him to drop out.

1988, Brian Stableford, "American Book of the Dead", Fiction & Fantasy Book Review Annual

I SUFFER, I HASTEN TO SAY, FROM NUCLEOMITOPHOBIA, THE FEAR of atomic attack, and my quest for a cure has led me to grapple with the great debate on war and peace as it is being carried on in the United States.

1999, Arthur Herzog III, The War–Peace Establishment, page vii:

Fear of nuclear weapons is known as nucleomitophobia. The same term applies to fear of atomic energy... The fear is based on a feeling by individuals that they have no control over the fate of the world and that nuclear weapons can kill off all of human life and civilization. This fear is also related to a fear of death and a fear of apocalypse, or the end of the world.

2008, Ronald M. Doctor & al., The Encyclopedia of Phobias, Fears, and Anxieties, 3rd ed., s.v. "nuclear war and nuclear weapons"

Fear of nuclear radiation, now especially atomic bombs.


triuranium octaoxide

(inorganic chemistry) The oxide of uranium U₃O₈ that is the main component of yellowcake


radiotoxin

Airborne plutonium is a radiotoxin.


flortaucipir

positron emission tomography
positron emission tomography

(medicine) A radioactive agent used in positron emission tomography


neutron emission

en-noun

neutron emission (countable and uncountable, plural neutron emissions)

A form of radioactive decay, where a nucleus with a severe excess of neutrons, emits a neutron.


beta ray

A stream of beta particles (fast-moving electrons propagating through a gas or vacuum), such as emitted by a radioactive substance.


breeder reactor

breeder reactor (plural breeder reactors)

A nuclear reactor that generates more fissile material than it consumes.


acute radiation syndrome

acute radiation syndrome (usually uncountable, plural acute radiation syndromes)

(pathology) An acute illness caused by irradiation of the entire body by a high dose of penetrating radiation in a very short period of time.


slightly enriched uranium

slightly-enriched uranium
slightly-enriched uranium#English

Alternative form of slightly-enriched uranium


slightly-enriched uranium

highly-enriched uranium
highly-enriched uranium

low-enriched uranium
low-enriched uranium

(nuclear physics) Enriched uranium with 0.9-2% uranium-235, requiring a special moderator with very low neutron absorption (such as heavy water or high-purity graphite) in order to be able to sustain a nuclear fission chain reaction. Used to increase power output and efficiency in a few types of nuclear reactors capable of running on natural uranium, and for downblending of highly-enriched uranium from decommissioned nuclear weapons into low-enriched uranium suitable for use in commercial power reactors.


highly-enriched uranium

(nuclear physics, military) Enriched uranium containing at least 20% uranium-235 (some applications, such as fission weapons and naval reactors, use uranium enriched to as high as 80-95% uranium-235), and therefore capable of sustaining a nuclear fission chain reaction without needing a moderator; used in nuclear weapons and in a few types of nuclear reactors requiring very high power density or high neutron flux.


fast reactor

(nuclear physics, engineering) A nuclear reactor with no moderator, using fast neutrons directly in a controlled fission chain reaction without slowing them down, allowing for a much more compact reactor which uses fissile material much more efficiently and generates larger quantities of high-energy neutrons which can be used for breeding more fissile material or producing other useful radioactive nuclides, but requiring the use of highly-enriched uranium (at least 20% uranium-235) or other fuel containing a similarly high concentration of fissile material.


downblend

en-verb

downblend (third-person singular simple present downblends, present participle downblending, simple past and past participle downblended)

downblends (present singular third-person)
downblending (participle present)
downblended (participle past)
downblended (past)

The facility has the capacity to downblend 5 tonnes of bomb-grade uranium per year.

slightly-enriched uranium
slightly-enriched uranium

(usually transitive, nuclear physics) To blend highly-enriched uranium, typically from decommissioned nuclear weapons, with uranium containing a low concentration of fissile uranium-235 (slightly-enriched uranium, natural uranium, or depleted uranium) in order to convert it to low-enriched uranium suitable for use as fuel in standard power reactors but not usable for a fission bomb.


organoflerovium

Describing any organic derivative of flerovium, especially one that has a carbon-flerovium bond


prompt neutron

(nuclear physics) A neutron produced immediately by the fission of an atomic nucleus, instead of being emitted by decaying fission products seconds to minutes later; over 99% of all fission neutrons are prompt neutrons (the exact proportion depends on the nuclide undergoing fission).


radiumtherapy

(medicine, dated) The therapeutic use of radium.


depletalloy

(nuclear physics, historical) Depleted uranium.


hyperfractionation

International scientific vocabulary, from hyper- + fractionation = hyper- + fraction + -ation.

Treatment with several doses per day offers the prospect of a significant therapeutic gain using readily available low LET beams. These regimens can be classified as either accelerated fractionation or hyperfractionation according to their rationales. With accelerated fractionation a conventional number of dose fractions is delivered in a significantly shortened overall treatment time in order to reduce the opportunity for tumor cell regeneration during treatment. With hyperfractionation, on the other hand, a large number of significantly reduced dose fractions is used to give a greater total dose in a conventional overall treatment time.

1983, H.D. Thames Jr, L.J. Peters, H.R. Withers, G.H. Fletcher, “Accelerated fractionation vs hyperfractionation: rationales for several treatments per day”, in International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics, volume 9, number 2, →DOI, →PMID, pages 127–138:

(radiotherapy) An especially highly divided form of fractionation: the division of a total dose of radiation into many small fractions.


HALEU

en-noun

HALEU (countable and uncountable, plural HALEUs)

low-enriched uranium
low-enriched uranium#English

Abbreviation of high-assay low-enriched uranium.; enriched uranium of 5%-20% enrichment


Vaseline glass

From the resemblance in colour to Vaseline petroleum jelly.

(informal) A pale yellowish-green form of uranium glass.


uranium glass

Coordinate term: lead glass

A form of decorative glass with a fluorescent effect, achieved by adding uranium, usually in oxide diuranate form, added to the glass before melting.


UV radiation

ultraviolet radiation
ultraviolet radiation#English

Alternative form of ultraviolet radiation


Uranium Club

(historical) A German project during World War II to research nuclear technology, including nuclear weapons and nuclear reactors.


atomic gardening

The exposure of plants to radioactive sources, typically cobalt-60, in order to generate mutations that may prove to have useful properties.


radiogenome

The genome of genes affected by radiation


bomb material

Material that is good for making nuclear bombs: e.g., certain isotopes of uranium, neptunium, and plutonium.


cobalt bomb

A nuclear bomb that includes cobalt, which will absorb neutrons and become radioactive cobalt-60.


hot particle

A tiny piece of radioactive material that can become lodged in living tissue.


fermium gap

(nuclear physics) The phenomenon that elements beyond fermium cannot be synthesized by neutron bombardment, due to the very short spontaneous fission half-life of fermium-258.


branching ratio

branching ratio (plural branching ratios)

In radioactivity, the portion of all decays that take a given pathway. For example, californium-252 decays by alpha decay ~97% of the time, and by spontaneous fission ~3% of the time; so the branching ratio is about 0.97 in favor of alpha decay, and about 0.03 in favor spontaneous fission.


RMHD

(astrophysics) Abbreviation of radiative magnetohydrodynamic.

(physics) Abbreviation of resistive magnetohydrodynamic.

(physics) Abbreviation of reduced magnetohydrodynamic.

(physics, engineering) Abbreviation of radioisotopic magnetohydrodynamic.

(physics, engineering) Abbreviation of rotary magnetohydrodynamic.


thoruranium

modelled on actino-uranium (the uranium parent of actinium), as it was the hypothetical uranium parent of thorium


criticality accident

criticality accident (plural criticality accidents)

(nuclear physics) An accidental uncontrolled self-sustaining nuclear fission chain reaction.


superheavy element

superheavy element (plural superheavy elements)

A chemical element with an extremely high atomic number; typically taken to mean beyond lawrencium (element 103, the last actinide)


pandemonium effect

If we have a beta decay that suffers from the pandemonium effect, the mean gamma energies will be underestimated and the beta energies will be overestimated.

2012, Amir Mesquita, Nuclear Reactors, page 78:

The pandemonium effect obviously has major consequences for decay heat calculations.

2014, Juha Äystö, Tommi Eronen, Ari Jokinen, IGISOL, page 247:

(physics) A problem that leads to inaccurate results from high-resolution gamma ray detectors in cases of beta decay when the decay product has a large Q value because the decay product has too many possible energy excitation levels with too much variation in the amount of energy emitted by different levels.


TRU

TRU waste

With repeated cycles of equilibration and salt transfers between the donor and acceptor, essentially all of the TRU content is transported to the Zn–Mg alloy.

1995, Thomas E. Carleson et al., editors, Separation Techniques in Nuclear Waste Management, CRC Press, →ISBN:


specific activity

specific activity (plural specific activities)

(physics) The activity per unit mass of a radionuclide: number of decays per unit time, per mass.


(physics) A radioactive isotope of uranium, ²³⁸₉₂U, having a half-life of 4.5 billion years; it accounts for about 99.3% of natural uranium.


(physics) A radioactive isotope of uranium, ²³⁴₉₂U, having a half-life of about 250,000 years; it accounts for about 55 parts per million of natural uranium; it is a member of the uranium-238 decay chain (aka "uranium series").


(physics) A radioactive isotope of uranium, ²³³₉₂U, having a half-life of about 160,000 years; it is fissile.


(physics) The radioactive isotope of gold, ¹⁹⁸₇₉Au, with a half-life of about 2.7 days.


fission product

fission product (plural fission products)


fission fragment

fission fragment (plural fission fragments)

One of the fragments (smaller nuclei) left over after a nucleus fissions (spontaneous or induced).


decay constant

In a radioactive material, an atom's probability, per unit time, of decaying; it is related to half-life by the equation t_1/2=(ln 2)/λ, where t_1/2 is the half-life, and λ is the decay constant.


technetium star

technetium star (plural technetium stars)

(astrophysics) A star in which technetium has been detected. This is significant because technetium is too short-lived to occur primordially in the star, if the star is about 4.5 billion years old (the estimated age of the Earth), so the star must be producing technetium.


(physics) An isotope of californium, ²⁵²₉₈Cf, with a half-life of 2.6 years; it is popular as a source of neutrons.


Przybylski's Star

After astronomer Antoni Przybylski, who discovered it.

A star, about 356 light-years from Earth and in the constellation Centaurus; in which actinides, up to and including at least einsteinium, have been detected.


artificial element

artificial element (plural artificial elements)


synthetic element

synthetic element (plural synthetic elements)

A chemical element that does not occur naturally (on Earth) and must be synthesized (manufactured).


continent of stability

continent of stability (plural continents of stability)

(nuclear physics) A hypothetical group of (presumably superheavy, likely beyond oganesson) chemical elements and isotopes that would be relatively long-lived, if not stable. Like an island of stability but larger.


sea of instability

sea of instability (plural seas of instability)

(nuclear physics) The vast body of short-lived isotopes outside the stable or long-lived ones (which form a "curve" on the table of nuclides).


supergrade

Of plutonium: containing a very small portion of isotopes other than plutonium-239 (especially plutonium-240) (usually less than perhaps 3%), making the plutonium especially suitable for nuclear weapons


nuclear halo

nuclear halo (plural nuclear halos or nuclear haloes)

nuclear halos (plural)
nuclear haloes (plural)

A bunch of protons and/or neutrons orbiting a nucleus, giving the nucleus a bigger radius than it should have. Such a nucleus is called a halo nucleus.


nuclear radiation

nuclear radiation (countable and uncountable, plural nuclear radiations)


nuclear fallout

nuclear fallout (countable and uncountable, plural nuclear fallouts)

In reference to such material falling out of the sky.

(uncountable) Residual radioactive material in the upper atmosphere which settles down to Earth over a protracted period; typically ash which has been propelled upwards by a nuclear explosion or disaster, sometimes mixed with rain or snow.

تَهَاطُل نَوَوِيّ

radioactive material in the atmosphere which settles down to Earth


uraniumaire

A millionaire whose wealth was acquired through uranium mining.


irradiation sickness

irradiation sickness (usually uncountable, plural irradiation sicknesses)

radiation sickness
radiation sickness#English


organoneptunium

(organic chemistry) Describing any organic compound containing a carbon-to-neptunium bond.


neptunocene

neptunocene (countable and uncountable, plural neptunocenes)

(organic chemistry) The actinocene cyclooctatetraenide with chemical formula Np(C₈H₈)₂.


plutonocene

plutonocene (countable and uncountable, plural plutonocenes)

(organic chemistry) The actinocene cyclooctatetraenide with chemical formula Pu(C₈H₈)₂.


(physics) An isotope of cobalt, ⁶⁰₂₇Co, with a half-life of 5.2 years; it beta-decays into nickel-60 (⁶⁰Ni) and is a potent source of gamma rays.


thorium dioxide

(inorganic chemistry) An oxide compound of thorium with the chemical formula ThO₂.


uranium trioxide

(inorganic chemistry) An oxide compound of uranium with the chemical formula UO₃.


uranium dioxide

(inorganic chemistry) An oxide compound of uranium with the chemical formula UO₂.


uranium nitrate

(inorganic chemistry) A nitrate salt of uranium with the chemical formula UO₂(NO₃)₂.


thorium chloride

(inorganic chemistry) An inorganic chloride compound of thorium with the chemical formula ShCl₄.


Forbush effect

Named after American physicist Scott E. Forbush.

coronal mass ejection
coronal mass ejection

(astrophysics) A rapid decrease in the observed galactic cosmic ray intensity following a coronal mass ejection.


Malter effect

Named after American physicist Louis Malter.

(uncommon, physics) The establishment of a positive charge on the surface of a thin insulating layer due to the secondary emission of electrons following the exposure to ionizing radiation.


Petkau effect

(uncommon) An early counterexample to linear-effect assumptions usually made about radiation exposure.


Wigner effect

Named after Eugene Wigner who discovered the effect.

(physics) The displacement of atoms in a solid caused by neutron radiation.