The Pennsylvania State University Radiation Science & Engineering Center (RSEC) is a facility dedicated to research, education, and training in the field of radiation science and engineering. It supports a range of activities, including nuclear engineering, radiation health physics, and various applications of radiation in fields such as medicine, industry, and environmental science. The center provides resources such as laboratories and research reactors that allow students and researchers to conduct experiments and gain practical experience in radiation-related technologies.
Nuclear reprocessing sites are facilities where spent nuclear fuel is chemically processed to separate usable materials from waste products. The primary goal of reprocessing is to recover fissile materials, such as uranium and plutonium, which can be reused as fuel in nuclear reactors. This process can help reduce the volume and toxicity of nuclear waste that needs to be managed long-term.
As of October 2023, the following countries are known to possess nuclear weapons: 1. **United States** - The first country to develop nuclear weapons and a significant stockpile remains. 2. **Russia** - Inherited a large nuclear arsenal from the Soviet Union and has extensive capabilities. 3. **United Kingdom** - Maintains a nuclear arsenal as part of its national defense strategy. 4. **France** - Possesses its own independent nuclear weapons program.
The McCloy–Zorin Accords refer to an agreement that was reached in 1961 during the Cold War, specifically related to the ban on nuclear weapons testing. Named after U.S. negotiator John McCloy and Soviet negotiator Andrei Zorin, these accords were part of a broader effort to limit nuclear weapons proliferation and reduce the risk of nuclear conflict. The accords aimed to establish a framework for future negotiations on a comprehensive nuclear test ban treaty.
A nuclear torpedo is a type of torpedo that is designed to deliver a nuclear warhead to a target, typically a ship or submarine. It combines the functionality of conventional torpedoes, which are used to detect and attack enemy vessels, with the destructive power of nuclear weapons. These torpedoes can be launched from submarines or surface ships and are capable of being deployed at various ranges.
Nuclear weapons governance refers to the frameworks, policies, and practices that regulate the development, deployment, and management of nuclear weapons. This governance encompasses a range of issues, including non-proliferation, disarmament, arms control, and the safe handling of nuclear materials.
Radiological weapons, often referred to as "dirty bombs," are devices designed to spread radioactive material, primarily for the purpose of causing harm, panic, or disruption, rather than achieving a traditional explosive effect. Unlike nuclear weapons, which rely on nuclear reactions to release massive energy and create explosions, radiological weapons use conventional explosives to disperse radioactive materials over a targeted area.
A neutron bomb, officially known as an enhanced radiation weapon (ERW), is a type of nuclear weapon designed to produce a large amount of neutron radiation with relatively limited blast effects. The primary function of a neutron bomb is to maximize the lethality of its radiation while minimizing the physical destruction typically associated with nuclear explosions.
Nuclear terrorism refers to the use or threatened use of nuclear weapons or materials by non-state actors, such as terrorist groups, with the intent to cause harm, fear, or disruption. This can include various scenarios, such as: 1. **Detonation of a Nuclear Bomb**: A terrorist organization acquiring and detonating a nuclear weapon, resulting in mass destruction, casualties, and panic.
Nuclear winter is a theoretical climatic effect that could result from large-scale nuclear war. It refers to the drastic and potentially catastrophic drop in temperatures and disruption of climate patterns that could follow the detonation of a substantial number of nuclear weapons. The key mechanisms behind nuclear winter include: 1. **Firestorms**: Nuclear explosions can ignite widespread fires in urban and rural areas, producing significant amounts of smoke and soot that are released into the atmosphere.
A metal-halide lamp is a type of high-intensity discharge (HID) lighting device that produces light by passing an electric current through a mixture of gases that include metal halides. These lamps are known for their bright, white light and are often used for applications where high-quality illumination is needed, such as in sports venues, street lighting, and commercial spaces. **Key features of metal-halide lamps include:** 1.
Radiation accidents and incidents refer to unplanned events that result in the release of radioactive materials or exposure to radiation in a way that poses a threat to human health and the environment. These situations can occur in a variety of settings, including nuclear power plants, research institutions, medical facilities, and during the transportation of radioactive materials. ### Types of Radiation Accidents and Incidents 1.
A deuterium arc lamp is a type of light source that produces ultraviolet (UV) light by creating an electric arc between two electrodes in a gas-filled chamber containing deuterium, a stable isotope of hydrogen. Deuterium has one proton and one neutron in its nucleus, making it heavier than regular hydrogen.
High-Intensity Discharge (HID) lamps are a type of electric light that generates light by creating an arc between two electrodes in a gas-filled chamber. The gas comprises various elements, which can vary depending on the specific type of HID lamp, and includes substances such as mercury, sodium, or metal halides. HID lamps typically emit a bright, intense light and are known for their efficiency and ability to produce a high lumen output relative to their power consumption.
A tanning lamp is a type of artificial light source designed to produce ultraviolet (UV) radiation that mimics the sun's rays, promoting the tanning of human skin. These lamps are commonly used in tanning beds, booths, and handheld tanning devices. Tanning lamps primarily emit UVA and UVB rays. UVA rays penetrate the skin more deeply and are primarily responsible for skin darkening, while UVB rays stimulate the production of vitamin D and can cause sunburn.
Omnigeneity refers to the quality or state of being all-encompassing or universal in genetic content or characteristics. It combines the prefix "omni-" meaning "all" or "every," with "geneity," which is related to genes or genetic characteristics. In a broader context, it can describe the idea that all organisms share a common genetic heritage, highlighting the interconnectedness of life through genetic material.
A vortex sheet is a mathematical concept used primarily in fluid dynamics and aerodynamics to describe the behavior of vortices in a flow field. It represents a discontinuity in the velocity field, particularly for inviscid (non-viscous) flows, where there is a sudden change in the velocity across a thin layer. ### Key Characteristics of a Vortex Sheet: 1. **Definition**: A vortex sheet consists of an infinite number of closely spaced vortices aligned along a line or surface.
WIEN2k is a software package used for performing electronic structure calculations based on density functional theory (DFT) within the framework of the linearized augmented plane wave (LAPW) method. It is widely utilized in condensed matter physics and materials science for studying the properties of solids, including their electronic, optical, and magnetic properties.
The "Portal" series is a first-person puzzle-platform video game series developed by Valve Corporation. The series is known for its innovative gameplay mechanics, dark humor, and engaging narrative. The first game, "Portal," was released as part of the "The Orange Box" collection in 2007 and quickly gained acclaim for its unique use of a "portal gun," which allows players to create linked portals on flat surfaces to solve puzzles and navigate through test chambers.
Half-Life 2: Episode One is a first-person shooter video game developed by Valve Corporation and released in 2006. It is a direct sequel to Half-Life 2 and serves as the first installment in a planned series of episodic follow-ups. The game continues the story of protagonist Gordon Freeman, who, along with the character Alyx Vance, fights against the oppressive alien Combine forces in the aftermath of the events of Half-Life 2.

Pinned article: Introduction to the OurBigBook Project

Welcome to the OurBigBook Project! Our goal is to create the perfect publishing platform for STEM subjects, and get university-level students to write the best free STEM tutorials ever.
Everyone is welcome to create an account and play with the site: ourbigbook.com/go/register. We belive that students themselves can write amazing tutorials, but teachers are welcome too. You can write about anything you want, it doesn't have to be STEM or even educational. Silly test content is very welcome and you won't be penalized in any way. Just keep it legal!
We have two killer features:
  1. topics: topics group articles by different users with the same title, e.g. here is the topic for the "Fundamental Theorem of Calculus" ourbigbook.com/go/topic/fundamental-theorem-of-calculus
    Articles of different users are sorted by upvote within each article page. This feature is a bit like:
    • a Wikipedia where each user can have their own version of each article
    • a Q&A website like Stack Overflow, where multiple people can give their views on a given topic, and the best ones are sorted by upvote. Except you don't need to wait for someone to ask first, and any topic goes, no matter how narrow or broad
    This feature makes it possible for readers to find better explanations of any topic created by other writers. And it allows writers to create an explanation in a place that readers might actually find it.
    Figure 1.
    Screenshot of the "Derivative" topic page
    . View it live at: ourbigbook.com/go/topic/derivative
  2. local editing: you can store all your personal knowledge base content locally in a plaintext markup format that can be edited locally and published either:
    This way you can be sure that even if OurBigBook.com were to go down one day (which we have no plans to do as it is quite cheap to host!), your content will still be perfectly readable as a static site.
    Figure 2.
    You can publish local OurBigBook lightweight markup files to either https://OurBigBook.com or as a static website
    .
    Figure 3.
    Visual Studio Code extension installation
    .
    Figure 4.
    Visual Studio Code extension tree navigation
    .
    Figure 5.
    Web editor
    . You can also edit articles on the Web editor without installing anything locally.
    Video 3.
    Edit locally and publish demo
    . Source. This shows editing OurBigBook Markup and publishing it using the Visual Studio Code extension.
    Video 4.
    OurBigBook Visual Studio Code extension editing and navigation demo
    . Source.
  3. https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ourbigbook/ourbigbook-media/master/feature/x/hilbert-space-arrow.png
  4. Infinitely deep tables of contents:
    Figure 6.
    Dynamic article tree with infinitely deep table of contents
    .
    Descendant pages can also show up as toplevel e.g.: ourbigbook.com/cirosantilli/chordate-subclade
All our software is open source and hosted at: github.com/ourbigbook/ourbigbook
Further documentation can be found at: docs.ourbigbook.com
Feel free to reach our to us for any help or suggestions: docs.ourbigbook.com/#contact