This dissertation consists of three interrelated essays examining the role of crisis events in Swedish nuclear energy policymaking. The study takes stock of the idea of ‘crisis exceptionalism’ raised in the literature, which postulates that crisis events provide openings for major policy change. In an effort to explain crisis-induced outcomes in Swedish nuclear energy policy, each essay explores and develops theoretical assumptions derived from the Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF). The introduction discusses the ACF and other theoretical perspectives accentuating the role of crisis in policymaking and identifies three explanations for crisis-induced policy outcomes: minority coalition mobilization, learning, and strategic action. Essay I analyzes the nature and development of the Swedish nuclear energy subsystem. The results contradict the ACF assumption that corporatist systems nurture narrow subsystems and small advocacy coalitions, but corroborate the assumption that advocacy coalitions remain stable over time. While this analysis identifies temporary openings in policymaking venues and in the advocacy coalition structure, it is argued that these developments did not affect crisis policymaking. Essay II seeks to explain the decision to initiate a referendum on nuclear power following the 1979 Three Mile Island accident. Internal government documents and other historical records indicate that strategic considerations superseded learning as the primary explanation in this case. Essay III conducts an in-depth examination of Swedish policymaking in the aftermath of the 1986 Chernobyl accident in an effort to explain the government’s decision not to accelerate the nuclear power phaseout. Recently disclosed government documents show that minority coalition mobilization was insufficient to explain this decision. In this case, rational learning and strategic action provided a better explanation. The main theoretical contribution derived from the three essays is to posit the intensity and breadth of political conflict, strategic action, and analogical reasoning as key factors affecting the propensity for crisis-induced policy change.

Theories of nuclear weapons proliferation cannot fully account for the nuances of certain cases because proliferation is a complex process involving numerous variables, the importance of which can potentially shift across time. This seems especially true when applied to the case of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) where motivations have shifted in relevance numerous times in its proliferation history. In order to investigate this, this thesis reviews extant theories of nuclear proliferation and their ability to explain the case of the DPRK by critically examining its historical nuclear progress and nuclear weapons ambitions across time. The result is that indeed, proliferation theories are ill-equipped to completely account for the DPRK’s nuclear choices. The DPRK has ostensibly been motivated by numerous variables at different times, each having varying degrees of influence, inexplicable for mono-causal and often western and ethno-centric accounts of its proliferation motivations.

Thesis (M.S. in Astronautical Engineering)--Naval Postgraduate School, Dec. 2004. / Thesis Advisor(s): Sherif Michael. Includes bibliographical references. Also available online.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1960. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Bibliography: leaf 71.

Thesis (A.B., Honors)--Harvard University, 1989. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S. in Nuclear Science and Engineering)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2006. / "May 2006." Description based on title screen as viewed on June 1, 2010. DTIC Descriptor(s): Boreholes, Radioactive Wastes, Disposal, Canisters, Thermal Properties, USSR, Diameters, Thickness, Stability, Permeability, Environments, Corrosion, Drilling, Flooding, Storage, Reactor Fuels, Nuclear Energy, Barriers, Emplacement, Internal, Fuels, Igneous Rock, Geothermy, Drills, Hazards, Performance (Engineering), Water, Theses, Granite, Steel, Containment (General). Includes bibliographical references (p. 122-125). Also available in print.

Por considerar que o uso das tecnologias de informação e comunicação às práticas pedagógicas, aliadas à abordagem dos assuntos nucleares é tema relevante, desafiador e ainda pouco explorado, o presente projeto visou criar um espaço de reflexões acerca das relações de aprendizagem e o papel do professor em sala de aula no contexto escolar de nível médio. Para o desenvolvimento dessa pesquisa, utilizou-se metodologia qualitativa. Como instrumentos de coleta de dados utilizaram-se gravações de áudio e vídeo, anotações em diários de aula, produções textuais dos sujeitos investigados e arquivos de registro da navegação realizada no ambiente do software educativo. A utilização de recursos digitais e, principalmente, do software educativo Cidade do Átomo, possibilitou a realização do exercício de representações de papéis, cujo objetivo é abordar assuntos científicos e tecnológicos polêmicos, tal como os relacionados à produção de energia elétrica a partir da energia nuclear. Nessa atividade, os estudantes interpretam diversos papéis de um mesmo contexto, defendendo e debatendo os pontos de vista convergentes de seus personagens. Foi possível evidenciar na participação dos estudantes por meio de questionamentos e relações estabelecidas entre seus pares e com os recursos tecnológicos a formação de um ambiente de interação proveitoso. Esta constatação evidencia a potencialidade do espaço educativo formado, que resultou em reforço do processo ensino-aprendizagem. / By considering that the use of information technology and pedagogical practices communication allied with an approach of nuclear subject it’s a relevant, challenging and yet not well developed theme, the present project aimed to create speculative space about the learning relationship and the role of the educator in a middle school context. To the development of this research were used a qualitative methodology. As data collecting instrument were used audio and video recordings, diary class annotations, textual productions of the analyzed subjects and navigation record files of the educational software ambient. Use of digital resources, mainly the educative software “Cidade do Átomo”, enabled the roleplaying game, whose objective is the approach of scientific and technologic polemic subjects, such as the nuclear energy production. In this exercise, the students played various roles on the same context, defending and debating their characters point of view. By the use of questions and discussion of the peer relationship with the technological resource, was possible to bespeak a beneficial interactive environment. This statement endorses the potentiality of the educative space, which resulted in a reinforcement of the teaching-learning process.

New Czech nuclear law Abstract The topic of this diploma thesis is the new Czech nuclear law, i.e. the Czech nuclear law after the adoption of the new regulation. Nuclear law can be characterized as a set of legal norms containing the regulation of the peaceful use of nuclear energy and ionizing radiation. Their aim is to ensure the protection of health, life, property and the environment and to prevent the misuse of nuclear energy and ionizing radiation for non-peaceful purposes. The first chapter contains a brief insight first into the world's history, then in the history related to Czech Republic. Apart from history, this chapter also includes the current state and the near future of this area. The second chapter deals with the transnational significance of nuclear law, international and Union atomic law and the most important international organizations active in this field. The third chapter deals again with Czech atomic law, including its constitutional foundations, recent changes and comparison with the old legal regulations and its relationship with selected laws. On the State Administration Bodies and their role and powers are dealt with in chapter four. The fifth chapter analyzes sources of ionizing radiation, deals with their classification and the protection of human health and the environment...

Orientador: Prof. Dr. José Rubens Maiorino / Tese ( doutorado)- Universidade Federal do ABC. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Energia, 2017. / O presente trabalho apresenta a análise e estudo da viabilidade de converter um reator de água pressurizada, para que opere com combustível a base de mistura de óxidos de tório e urânio (Th, U)O2, em substituição ao tradicional dióxido de urânio, com a finalidade de redução de actinídeos de longa vida, em especial plutônio, e de gerar um estoque de 233U que poderia vir a no futuro ser utilizado em ciclos de combustível avançados, em um processo mais sustentável e para aproveitar a grande reserva de tório disponível no planeta e em especial no Brasil. O reator escolhido como referência foi o AP1000, que é considerado como um dos reatores mais seguros e modernos da atual Geração III, e por sua similaridade com os reatores já consolidados e utilizados no Brasil para geração de energia elétrica. Os resultados obtidos mostram a viabilidade e potencialidade do conceito, sem a necessidade de mudanças no núcleo do AP1000, e também com vantagens relativamente a este. Os cálculos nêutronicos foram feitos pelo programa SERPENT. Os resultados forneceram uma densidade de potência linear máxima menores que o AP1000, favorecendo a segurança. Além disso a fração de nêutrons atrasados, os coeficientes de reatividade mostraram-se adequados para garantir a segurança do conceito. Os resultados mostraram que é possível uma produção de cerca de 260 Kg de 233U por ciclo, com uma produção mínima de plutônio físsil que favorece a utilização do conceito em ciclos de U-Th, no entanto os estudos apontam que sua vantagem é limitada a ciclos de combustível fechados. / This work presents the neutronics and thermal hydraulics feasibility to convert the UO2 core of the Westinghouse AP1000 in a (U-Th)O2 core, rather than the traditional uranium dioxide, for the purpose of reducing long-lived actinides, especially plutonium, and generates a stock pile of 233U, which could in the future be used in advanced fuel cycles, in a more sustainable process and taking advantage of the large stock of thorium available on the planet and especially in Brazil. The reactor chosen as reference was the AP1000, which is considered to be one of the most reliable and modern reactor of the current Generation III, and its similarity to the reactors already consolidated and used in Brazil for electric power generation. The results show the feasibility and potentiality of the concept, without needs any change in the core of the AP1000, and even with advantages over this. The neutron calculations were made by the SERPENT code. The results provided a maximum linear power density lower than the AP1000, favoring safety. In addition the delayed neutron fraction, the reactivity coefficients proved to be adequate to ensure the safety of the concept. The results show that a production of about 260 Kg of 233U per cycle is possible, with a minimum production of fissile plutonium that favors the use of the concept in U-Th cycles, however studies show that its advantage is limited to closed cycles.

Les alliages de zirconium sont utilisés comme matériaux de gainage des combustibles nucléaires dans les réacteurs à eau pressurisée. Ces gaines sont utilisées dans un milieu extrêmement radiatif et corrosif, elles peuvent dans certains cas être le siège de fortes variations de température et doivent répondre à des sollicitations mécaniques importantes, que ce soit en conditions de service ou accidentelles. Dans un tel contexte, il est intéressant de pouvoir prédire les transformations de phases ayant lieu au sein de la gaine en fonction des variations de température et de composition chimique, la précipitation de phases fragiles induites par la présence des éléments d’alliages, mais aussi de tester de nouvelles compositions d’alliages afin de l’optimiser.La méthode la plus adaptée pour la modélisation thermodynamique de systèmes multiconstitués est la méthode Calphad (CALculation of PHAse Diagrams). Il s’agit d’une méthode semi-empirique, consistant à modéliser les enthalpies libres des différentes phases constitutives d’un système par ajustement de certains paramètres, dans le but de reproduire les données expérimentales.Ce mémoire détaille la construction d’une base de données thermodynamiques du système quinaire Cr-Fe-Nb-Sn-Zr selon la méthode Calphad. L’originalité de notre démarche est liée à l’utilisation des calculs DFT de manière systématique et massive. Il s’agit en particulier de calculer par DFT les enthalpies de formation de tous les end-members des phases intermétalliques constitutives du système quinaire. De plus, des calculs sur des mailles « quasi aléatoires » (SQS) sont également effectués de manière systématique afin de déterminer les enthalpies de mélange des solutions solides binaires en structure fcc, bcc et hcp. En outre, une étape importante de ce travail consiste à compléter les données expérimentales de la littérature par de nouvelles mesures sur des systèmes choisis. En particulier, nous nous sommes employés à décrire quelques équilibres de phases des systèmes ternaires Cr-Nb-Sn, Cr-Fe-Sn, Cr-Sn-Zr et Fe-Nb-Sn qui n’avaient jamais été déterminés expérimentalement. Nous avons ensuite utilisé ces calculs et ces nouvelles données expérimentales en complément de données de la littérature comme données d’entrée pour la modélisation thermodynamique des vingt sous-systèmes binaires et ternaires du système quinaire considéré. Enfin, le pouvoir prédictif de notre base de données a pu être vérifié en confrontant ces prédictions à des données expérimentales relatives à des alliages quinaires industriels ou à de nouveaux concepts de gaines / Currently, zirconium alloys are used as fuel cladding materials in PWR (Pressurized Water Reactors). The claddings stand in a very corrosive and radiative environnement, and can be submitted to temperature variations. In addition, the claddings will be subjected to mechanical stresses in reactor or accidental conditions. Thus, it appears useful to have a better understanding of phase transformations occurring in these alloys, as a function of temperature and chemical composition variations, but also to forecast the precipitation of fragile phases induced by the addition of alloying elements. At last, the ability to test new alloy compositions may allow to optimize it.The most suitable method for the thermodynamic modeling of multicomponent systems is the Calphad method (CALculation of PHAse Diagrams). The Calphad method is a widely used technique of semi-empirical modelling of phase diagrams. It consists in the description of the Gibbs energies of the different phases by fitting parameters allowing to describe the experimental data.This report details the design of a thermodynamic database considering the five following elements Zr, Cr, Fe, Nb, and Sn. The originality of this database lies in a systematic use of DFT calculations. Indeed, DFT calculations are performed to predict the formation enthalpy of the intermetallic phases appearing in these systems. Moreover, the SQS method (Special Quasirandom Structure) is used to predict the mixing enthalpy of the fcc, bcc and hcp binary solid solutions. Besides, experimental investigations are an important step of this thesis. Since no experimental data were available for the Cr-Fe-Sn, Cr-Nb-Sn, Cr-Sn-Zr and Fe-Nb-Sn ternary systems, new experimental data are provided, within this study, on the isothermal sections of these systems at different temperatures. All these calculated data in addition to the experimental data and the data from literature are used as input data for the Calphad modelling of the twenty binary and ternary systems which are then combined in the new database. A last part is dedicated to comparisons between predictions obtained with our new database and experimental results on industrial quinary alloys and a new concept of claddings