Nuclear engineering

Nuclear engineering is the branch of engineering concerned with the application of breaking down atomic nuclei (fission) or of combining atomic nuclei (fusion), or with the application of other sub-atomic processes based on the principles of nuclear physics. In the sub-field of nuclear fission, it particularly includes the design, interaction, and maintenance of systems and components like nuclear reactors, nuclear power plants, or nuclear weapons. The field also includes the study of medical and other applications of radiation, nuclear safety, heat/thermodynamics transport, nuclear fuel or other related technology (e.g., radioactive waste disposal), and the problems of nuclear proliferation.

History

The United States also generated its first test-tube neutrons in 1932, its first nuclear reactor (CP-1) in 1942, and its first nuclear weapons in 1945. The United Kingdom, Canada, and the USSR proceeded over the course of the late 1940s and early 1950s.

Education and training

Nuclear engineering programs are offered by several universities, and often they are a subfield of electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, or physics. A degree in nuclear engineering will often include courses in nuclear physics, thermodynamics, material science, and nuclear reactor design.

Professional organizations

Several professional organizations are dedicated to the research and advancement of nuclear engineering, including the American Nuclear Society, the Nuclear Energy Institute, and the Health Physics Society.

See also

• Nuclear technology
• Nuclear physics
• Nuclear reactor technology
• Nuclear power
• Nuclear weapon
• Nuclear safety
• Nuclear fuel cycle
• Radioactive waste disposal

References

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