1. Introduction

The 1930s were heady times for nuclear physics. A "hit parade" of discoveries gave us new insights into the properties of the nucleus. The means of unlocking enormous amount of energy stored inside a nucleus seemed at hand. Finally, the discovery of nuclear fission in 1938 ushered in a new era in the history of mankind —the nuclear age [1].

Nuclear energy is a technologically proven nonfossil energy source that made significant contribution to the world's energy supply in the past 6 decades. There are two nuclear processes in which enormous amount of energy is released from nuclear bonds between the particles within the nucleus. They are nuclear fission and nuclear fusion.
