Understanding Chernobyl

This booklet brings together seven talks on the background to the Chernobyl accident which are intended to assist those who are not reactor specialists to understand the implications of the accident for the future of the nuclear industry. After an introduction to the physics of thermal reactors the events that results in the Chernobyl accident are described. The remaining talks deal with the initial safety lessons learned from the accident, the safety of gas-cooled reactors with particular reference to the UK magnox reactor, the biological effects of radiation, radiation protection policy and reactor safety philosophy. A concluding chapter summarizes the discussion at the seminar at which the talks were first presented. (U.K.)