Laser induced nuclear waste transmutation

TL;DR

This paper explores the use of laser-induced processes to transmute long-lived nuclear waste into shorter-lived or stable isotopes, aiming to address the challenge of managing high-activity, long-lasting radioactive waste.

Contribution

It introduces a novel laser-based method for nuclear waste transmutation, potentially reducing the long-term hazard of radioactive waste.

Findings

Laser techniques can induce nuclear reactions in waste isotopes.

Transmutation reduces half-life of hazardous isotopes.

Potential for safer nuclear waste management.

Abstract

When producing electricity that collects the mass energy that is available at the time of the induced disintegration of radioactive elements, other unstable elements are produced with half-life span durations ranging from less than one second to hundreds of thousands of years and which are considered as waste. Managing nuclear waste with a half-life of less than 30 years is an easy task, as our societies clearly know how to keep buildings safe for more than a century, the time it takes for the activity to be divided by a factor of 8. High-activity, long-lasting waste that can last for thousands of years or even longer, up to geological time laps, cannot be taken care of for such long durations. Therefore, these types of waste are socially unacceptable; nobody wants to leave a polluted planet to descendants.