THE APPLICATIONS OF ATOMIC ENERGY OTHER THAN CENTRAL-STATION POWER GENERATION. A Technical and Economic Analysis of Their Role in the U.S. International Atomic Energy Programs

An analysis was made to appraise the essential technical and economic background of each of many atomic-energy applications and to estimate the usefulness of each application to over countries at various stages of their economic development. The applications considered are: research activities in all fields of science, on and with the aid of atomic energy; use of reactors for propulsion, process heat, saline-water purification, space heat, and for promoting chemical reactions; direct conversion of heat and radiation to electricity; industrial use of radiations and of radioisotopes; use of nuclear explosives for earth moving and for heat; radiation preservation of foods; use of radiations and tracers in agriculture; and use of radiations and tracers in medicine. Where appropriate, each section of the report covers the following aspects of its subject: technical state of the art; research and development in progress; nonnuclear means for achieving the same objectives; present and prospective economic situation; applicability to the economy of other countries; and means for encouraging useful atomic-energy applications. (M.C.G.)