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U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Industry: Government
Number of terms: 11131
Number of blossaries: 0
Company Profile:
A heavy, radioactive, manmade metallic element with atomic number 94. Its most important isotope is fissile plutonium-239, which is produced by neutron irradiation of uranium-238. It exists in only trace amounts in nature.
Industry:Energy
A small ionization detection instrument that indicates ionizing radiation exposure directly. An auxiliary charging device is usually necessary.
Industry:Energy
Postulated events that meet a probability test rather than the more challenging test represented by a design-basis event.
Industry:Energy
The percentage of the total energy content of a power plant's fuel that is converted into electricity. The remaining energy is lost to the environment as heat.
Industry:Energy
An infrequent exposure to radiation, separate from and in addition to the annual dose limits (see 10 CFR 20. 1003 and 20. 1206).
Industry:Energy
A colloquial term describing the first nuclear reactors. They are called piles because the earliest reactors were "piles" of graphite and uranium blocks.
Industry:Energy
pig
A colloquial term describing a container (usually lead or depleted uranium) used to ship or store radioactive materials. The thick walls of this shielding device protect the person handling the container from radiation. Large containers used for spent fuel storage are commonly called casks.
Industry:Energy
One trillionth (10<sup><sup>-12</sup></sup>) of a curie.
Industry:Energy
A prefix that divides a basic unit by one trillion (10<sup>-12</sup>).
Industry:Energy
A quantum (or packet) of energy emitted in the form of electromagnetic radiation. Gamma rays and x-rays are examples of photons.
Industry:Energy