Re: [Phys-l] dealing with the media +- evolution

[Bernard Cleyet <bernardcleyet@redshift.com>]

> Where is the conjecture?  They have plenty of oil.  Why use nuclear  
> power?

For how long?  And with the the most extreme scenario (GW*) oil as  
energy source will be a no no.


* We're back on topic!

bc

On 2008, Apr 06, , at 10:46, cliff parker wrote:

> Where is the conjecture?  They have plenty of oil.  Why use nuclear  
> power?
> Your interesting post which I appreciate reading seems to make my  
> point
> (Pu-??? = nuclear weapons) and then calls it conjecture.
>
> Cliff
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Hugh Haskell" <hhaskell@mindspring.com>
> To: "Forum for Physics Educators" <phys-l@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu>
> Sent: Sunday, April 06, 2008 12:29 AM
> Subject: Re: [Phys-l] dealing with the media +- evolution
>
>
> > At 22:39  -0500 4/5/08, cliff parker wrote:
> >
> > > There is only one
> > > reason for Iran to produce enriched uranium and that is to  
> > > eventually have
> > > the capability to produce atomic bombs.
> >
> > I suspect that is true, but it remains conjecture, since we don't
> > have evidence yet that they are attempting to enrich uranium beyond
> > about 10%. And although all reactors produce plutonium, not all
> > plutonium is suitable for use in nuclear weapons. The longer the
> > uranium fuel stays in the reactor, the more it becomes contaminated
> > with Pu-240, and if the concentration of Pu-240 gets to be more than
> > about 10%, then the Pu produced in the reactor won't make very good
> > bombs, due to the high rate of spontaneous fission that Pu-240
> > undergoes, which speeds the explosive fission up to the point where
> > it is too fast for the critical mass assembly to complete before the
> > weapon blows itself apart.
cut