Mastering nuclear energy: what do we know and what can we do after Fukushima?

The nuclear catastrophe of Fukushima is a illustration of the contradiction between the will of using nuclear energy for the well-being of humanity and the reasons of state with behind, the imprudence of men due to the degradation of the political decision process. The Fukushima accident is not the first of a kind, and one can ask when, where and how the next ones will happen. When we know that the economical stakes of energy resources raise political problems, we can better understand why the civil nuclear industry is considered as strategic on all aspects, and thus highly controlled on the public information side. Nuclear physics has marked the modern times in various domains like medicine, war, arts or astrophysics. With some schemes and many examples, the author explains in this book what is nuclear energy and what are its applications. He describes the mechanisms involved in nuclear reactions, before, during and after the reactions. Content: Forewords. What is nuclear physics? Radioactivity: applications and risks. Fission. Nuclear power generation. Nuclear accidents and catastrophes. Thermonuclear fusion. Some energy figures. Nuclear proliferation. What can we think about and do after Fukushima? Index. (J.S.)