乐鱼 体育

BY KILEY MCCORMICK

On May 21, human rights proponents and nuclear disarmament activists celebrated the centennial anniversary of the birth of Andrei Sakharov, a Soviet nuclear physicist, dissident, and Nobel laureate. In his 1975 Nobel lecture, Sakharov between the United States and the Soviet Union: 鈥淐ooperation on a wide front between the western countries, the socialist countries, and the developing countries is a vital necessity for peace, and it involves an exchange of scientific results, technology, trade, and mutual economic aid.鈥�

Today, the adversarial nature of Russian-American relations largely mirrors that in Sakharov鈥檚 era. The success of past collaborative scientific projects during times of heightened political animosity, particularly during the Cold War, may, however, offer a rare guide for productive Russian-American exchange. One such avenue for this cooperation may be fast neutron reactors, a and much-debated technology with the potential to alter the field of nuclear energy.

Fast neutron reactors, or simply fast reactors, are a category of nuclear reactors in which fast (i.e., unmoderated) neutrons sustain a fission chain reaction. These reactors have long been components of Russian and American experimental nuclear programs owing to their ability to breed extra fissile material more rapidly than any other reactor system, their relative sustainability, and their advantages with respect to the management of long-lived nuclear waste. Andrei Sakharov of the system based on its potential high efficiency. Scientists working on the technology (although far in the future) to operate as and to minimize the need for geological repositories for waste. Critics of the technology fear that if fast reactor technology became a staple in certain states鈥� energy mix, aggressive regimes could convert their civilian programs to produce weapons-grade radioactive material before the international community could act. Because of the current exclusivity of the technology, fast reactors also present a rare opportunity for Russian-American cooperation.

Since 2016, many of the Soviet-era treaties and protections that prevented the proliferation of nuclear and radioactive materials have been allowed to lapse. Although President Biden鈥檚 administration will likely be more supportive of arms control than his predecessor鈥檚, the outlook for productive Russian-American nuclear cooperation, which has a direct bearing on the civilian and military nuclear programs of the world, remains dreary. The politicization of the relationship and atrophy of diplomatic avenues of cooperation under the Trump administration have additionally whittled away opportunities for productive relations.

Scientific cooperation, however, has long been a fertile field for fostering mutually beneficial cooperation, with a history . Both states have historically led the world in nuclear development, often looking to one another to develop experimental technologies. Expenditure on R&D for nuclear power reactors has also been falling since the 1980s, compelling cooperation on costly projects such as fast reactors. A waning enthusiasm for nuclear power has further motivated proponents to seek like-minded international partners.

Over the last decade, Russia has demonstratively declared its willingness to partner and cooperate on the development of novel nuclear technologies. Russia is also the and among the leading producers of nuclear energy. These factors make the Russian nuclear experience an invaluable resource in the development of experimental nuclear technologies, including fast reactor technology, which the Soviet Union initially pioneered.

Although the American Spallation Neutron Source and Versatile Test Reactor, two U.S. projects studying fast reactor technology, primarily partner with American institutions, Russian fast reactor facilities regularly report high-profile international partnerships. Rosatom has previously for creating an International Research Center based on the MBIR fast-neutron research reactor. As Russian aggression corrodes political and economic opportunities for Eurasian cooperation, the potential political value of these scientific partnerships, a rare point of positive engagement, should be noted.

At the height of the Cold War, the Soviet Union and the United States , creating a rare opportunity to swap invaluable scientific expertise amid unparalleled animosity and distrust. Such scientific exchanges are significant even beyond the technological breakthroughs they , having been shown to have a democratizing effect, as Russian scientists exposed to Western colleagues to democratic ideals.

Today鈥檚 Russian-American relationship reflects the distrust and misunderstanding seen during the Sakharov鈥檚 era when these programs began. Although adversaries, the United States and Soviet Union carried a heavy responsibility as the world鈥檚 first two nuclear weapons states. Sakharov risked his life to convince the world that this responsibility should not be taken lightly. The two states have diverged in their interpretation of this role in recent years as the United States debates the necessity of international arms treaties and Russia deploys energy diplomacy to developing states interested in civilian nuclear programs, but their technological prowess in nuclear energy remains incomparable.

Fast reactors for cooperation between the United States and Russia as the homes of the most prominent experts in the technology. As a new administration settles into the White House, such opportunities for positive Russian-American interactions may be few and far between. Sakharov鈥檚 prescient call for cooperation among adversaries should not go unheeded.

The opinions expressed in this article are those solely of the author and do not reflect the views of the Kennan Institute.