a) The Chart of the Nuclides provides properties of known nuclei both stable and unstable and gives colour coding representing potential radioactive decay mechanisms. Please consider the chart in relation to thermal fission nuclear reactors and answer the following:

(i) Define transuranics and actinides, describe how these are formed in the nuclear reactor, state their most common decay mechanism, give a decay equation for one example nuclei, and state their role in: reactor criticality, nuclear waste, and future waste treatments.

(ii) Explain clearly the fission process and the primary mechanism that generates heat for power production, identify the distribution and frequency of fission products produced, describe the two types of instability associated with nucleon imbalance in fission products and give the simple nucleon decay equations associated with each type.

(iii) Explain the relationship in simple terms between nuclear binding energy and the nuclear processes involved in: decay of actinides, the fission process, and decay of fission products.

(iv) Explain the drivers for cooling requirements in operational and shut down nuclear power plants in terms of these nuclear reactions (from (iii)), explain these requirements in terms of mass defect, and state a simple equation relating heat to mass.

b) Explain fusion in terms of mass defect and binding energy, give an equation for a fusion reaction, explain the basic mechanism behind a plasma confinement reactor, and give example of the required temperature and pressure or density conditions.