The Accelerator Transmutation of Waste System
One of the greatest obstacles facing nuclear energy is the highly radioactive waste which is generated during power production. In order for nuclear power to realize its full potential as a major energy source for the United States, as well as the entire world, there must be a safe and effective way to deal with this waste. While mined geological disposal is the method chosen by the U.S., it has been consistently stalled by a pervasive public perception that it is not a safe disposal technology. One of the primary reasons for this is the long life of many of the radioisotopes generated from fission, with half-lives on the order of 100,000 to a million years. Another reason is the feeling that weapons grade material in the repository would be easily obtainable by terrorist groups. Therefore, science must come the rescue in the form of new, more effective technology aimed at reducing the amount of long-lived radioactive waste and eliminating nuclear weapons grade material.
One new technology currently being developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory is the Accelerator Transmutation of Waste (ATW) System.
Most of the information presented in this article was found in the paper "Comparison of Accelerator-Based with Reactor-Based Nuclear Waste Transmutation Schemes" in Progress in Nuclear Energy July 7, 1994 written by W.C. Sailor, C.A. Beard, F. Venneri, and J.W. Davidson.
This document will try to give the reader a brief, but comprehensive, overview of the ATW. While many more detailed aspects may be left out, the author is presenting only the key features of the ATW System. If a more knowledgable ATW reader is not satisfied with the way a particular subject is presented, feel free to edit or change it. I can be contacted at tfcarter@nuc.berkeley.edu, where the T is for Thomas.