Nuclear Energy: An Introduction to the Concepts, Systems, and Applications of Nuclear Processes

"Nuclear Energy" by Raymond L. Murray now has a sixth edition available, and while I read and am reviewing the fifth edition, I encourage anyone who wants to read this generally fine book to obtain the latest edition. In this volume Murray covers a very broad swath of information, focusing on nuclear processes and civilian nuclear power, but also delving into international aspects of nuclear power, nuclear explosions and armaments, future uses of nuclear power, regulatory issues, and waste disposal. Each chapter is well formulated, and I especially appreciated the concise summaries at the end of chapters. I found the chapters on nuclear processes to be the best in the book, and particularly enjoyed chapter 12, "Heat Generation and Removal," and found his explanation of nucleate boiling, film boiling, and departure from nucleate boiling ratio" (DNBR, p. 151) to be the most comprehensible I have ever read in an introductory text. I read the book to enhance my understanding of commercial fission reactors mostly to grasp engineered safety systems in operational reactors. In that vein, some sections of the book are a bit esoteric, although still interesting. For instance, some of the discussion in the section 14.6, "Prospects For Fusion" (p.188) goes into such things as the compact stellarator, spherical torus, reversed field pinch, spheromak, floating multipole, and z-pinch concepts in the discussion of magnetic fusion focused on the tokamak mode. My critique isn't that the material is bad, but that most readers of the book are focused on much more basic information. The fusion discussion is by no means a waste overall though, and I particularly liked the inclusion of a quote from fusion pioneer Lyman Spitzer on p. 190 that justifies the entire research discipline: "A fifty percent probability of getting a power source that would last a billion years is worth a great deal of enthusiasm." Brilliant. While most of the book is very well written, I found isolated sections to be very confusing, particularly section 17.7, "Neutron Activation Analysis," which I re-read several times and still struggled with. Hopefully this has been fixed in the sixth edition, though thankfully these weaker areas are relatively rare. As an aside, some of the exercises require mathematical leaps most people will be unable to make unless the material is taught more in-depth in a classroom environment. This can prove frustrating. Chapter 22, "Radioactive Waste Disposal," is one of the most important in the book, and also a subject that has drastically changed since this edition was written, most recently with the decision of the Obama administration with the support of Energy Secretary Steven Chu and Senator Harry Reid of Nevada to terminate the Yucca Mountain facility with no plan whatsoever to provide an alternate facility. This latest government boondoggle puts politics over scientific validity, but that comes as no surprise, as Murray points out the failure of Jimmy Car

The book binding was in bad shape when I received it however I believe that is due to shipping constraints. Overall a good experience.

This introduction to nuclear physics is very clear and covers all the essential elements.

it was incredable it was pack full of information it was great for my project I recamend it to anyone