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60 Years of U: Perspectives on resources, demand, and the evolving role of nuclear energy
Recent years have seen growing global interest in nuclear energy and rising confidence in the sector. For the first time since the early 2000s, there is renewed optimism about the industry’s future. This change is driven by several major factors: geopolitical developments that highlight the need for secure energy supplies, a stronger focus on resilient energy systems, national commitments to decarbonization, and rising demand for clean and reliable electricity.
Benjamin S. Wang, George H. Miley
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 52 | Number 1 | September 1973 | Pages 130-141
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE73-A23296
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A Monte Carlo simulation model for radiation-induced plasmas with nonlinear properties due to recombination has been developed employing a piecewise-linearized predict-correct technique. Several variance reduction techniques are used, including antithetic variates. The resulting code is applied to the determination of the electron energy distribution for a noble-gas plasma created by alpha-particle irradiation. Results are presented for helium with an electron source rate from 1014 to 1018 electrons/(cm3 sec), initial energies from 70 to 1500 eV, pressures from 10 to 760 Torr, and electric-field-to-pressure ratios from 0 to 10 V/(cm Torr). The low-energy portion of the distribution function approaches a Maxwellian for zero field and Druyvesteyn’s distribution with an applied electric field. However, above the ionization potential and extending to the source energy, a parabolic-shaped distribution (tail) occurs.