Nuclear Physics, Radioisotope Fuels, and Protective Components

The radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG) represents a unique device requiring a confluence of disciplines, to include aerospace, materials science, and nuclear engineering, on an extraordinary level. This chapter provides foundational instruction on the nuclear and atomic knowledge relevant to radioisotope fuel behavior, RTG performance, and radiological concerns. It provides the reader with context to explain why certain isotopes are preferred in different mission architectures in relation to their fundamental nuclear characteristics. The chapter provides a macro‐scale view of RTG fuels, as well as a discussion of the processes, facilities, and expertise required to fabricate, handle, and ship these complex materials. It then presents the contemporary fuel form of plutonium oxide, along with historic and current methods of its safe encapsulation. The fundamental building blocks of matter are atoms, which consist primarily of subatomic particles called neutrons, protons, and electrons.