Enrico Fermi lead an experiment on the 2nd of December 1942, initiating the first human-made self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction.

The Gilbert Lab was a children’s toy which featured real uranium ore and various radiation detectors.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is the world’s central intergovernmental forum for cooperation in the nuclear field.

Uranium goes through a range of different stages to turn it into nuclear fuel. The most recognisable of these is called yellowcake.

Steam generators are stored on their side prior to installation.

The energy released during a fission reaction comes from mass being turned into energy.

Our ‘3D Models / Simulations’ page lets you look inside the depths of a nuclear reactor and even take control of a complete power station.

Atoms with the same number of protons but varying number of neutrons are known as isotopes.

Fuel rods and fuel assemblies can be enormous. They are typically up to 4 metres long.

Massive generators are mounted in huge concrete structures. The turbines driving the generators are located one level above.

Workers move about the area above the opened reactor pressure tank. The area was often used for monitoring or assembling experimental equipment.

In December 1903, Pierre Curie, Marie Curie, and Henri Becquerel were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for their joint research on radiation.

Launched on the 21st of January 1954, USS Nautilus became the first nuclear powered submarine.

Cooling towers are not the only way to remove waste heat. Power stations located on the coast will typically use fresh seawater instead.

Reactor coolant removes heat from the reactor core and transfers it to the secondary circuit for electricity generation.

Uranium is the world’s most energy dense fuel source. One pellet contains as much energy as 1000kg of coal.

A nuclear submarine can remain submerged for months, limited only by the crew’s food supply and psychological endurance.

High Level Waste can be stored in gigantic and extremely heavily shielded dry casks during storage or transport.

Natural draft towers make up the vast majority of cooling towers used at nuclear power stations. They rely on the natural buoyancy of hot air to create a continuous airflow without the need for mechanical assistance.

Atomic weapons release so much energy that temperatures over 100 million degrees Celsius can be reached during the reaction.

A reactor pressure vessel is lowered into its final position.

Decommissioning is the process of shutting down, cleaning up, and dismantling a nuclear power station.

Various well known automotive manufacturers created concepts for nuclear-powered cars.

Workers observe instruments in the main control room.

Nuclear fuel typically contains around 5% of the fissile U-235 isotope. Natural uranium only contains about 0.7% of this isotope.

Cherenkov radiation is crucial in astrophysics for studying high-energy cosmic phenomena. In high-energy cosmic ray events, particles entering the Earth’s atmosphere create secondary particles that emit Cherenkov radiation in air.

A reactor pressure vessel is transported in front of the New York skyline.

Magnox reactors were some of the world’s first commercial nuclear reactors. The name “Magnox” comes from the magnesium-aluminium alloy (Magnesium Non-Oxidising) used to clad the natural uranium fuel rods.

Our ‘Journeys through Nuclear’ section makes it easy to learn about nuclear using a simple to follow, step-by-step format.

A worker uses mechanical actuators to handle equipment inside a hot cell.