Undergraduate Measurements For Fission Reactor Applications

Journal Article · Wed Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 2011 · AIP Conference Proceedings

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3586200· OSTI ID:21513458

Hicks, S F; Kersting, L J; Lueck, C J; McDonough, P ^[1]; Crider, B P; McEllistrem, M T; Peters, E E ^[2]; Vanhoy, J R ^[3]

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1. Department of Physics, University of Dallas, Irving TX 75019 (United States)
2. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506 (United States)
3. Department of Physics, United States Naval Academy, Annapolis MD 21402 (United States)

Undergraduate students at the University of Dallas (UD) have investigated elastic and inelastic neutron scattering cross sections on structural materials important for criticality considerations in nuclear fission processes. Neutrons scattered off of {sup 23}Na and {sup Nat}Fe were detected using neutron time-of-flight techniques at the University of Kentucky Low-Energy Nuclear Accelerator Facility. These measurements are part of an effort to increase the efficiency of power generation from existing fission reactors in the US and in the design of new fission systems. Students have learned the basics of how to operate the Model CN Van de Graaff generator at the laboratory, setup detectors and electronics, use data acquisition systems, and they are currently analyzing the angular dependence of the scattered neutrons for incident neutron energies of 3.57 and 3.80 MeV. Most students participating in the project will use the research experience as the material for their undergraduate research thesis required for all Bachelor of Science students at the University of Dallas. The first student projects on this topic were completed during the summer of 2010; an overview of student participation in this investigation and their preliminary results will be presented.

• OSTI ID: 21513458
• Journal Information: AIP Conference Proceedings, Vol. 1336, Issue 1; Conference: CAARI 2010: 21. International Conference on the Application of Accelerators in Research and Industry, Fort Worth, TX (United States), 8-13 Aug 2010; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.3586200; (c) 2011 American Institute of Physics; ISSN 0094-243X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS//MATHEMATICS, COMPUTING, AND INFORMATION SCIENCE
ACCELERATOR FACILITIES
CARBON NITRIDES
CROSS SECTIONS
CYANIDES
DATA ACQUISITION SYSTEMS
EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES
EFFICIENCY
ELASTIC SCATTERING
FISSION
INELASTIC SCATTERING
MEV RANGE 01-10
NEUTRON DIFFRACTION
NEUTRON REACTIONS
NEUTRONS
POWER GENERATION
SODIUM 23
TIME-OF-FLIGHT METHOD
TRAINING REACTORS
VAN DE GRAAFF ACCELERATORS
ACCELERATORS
BARYON REACTIONS
BARYONS
CARBON COMPOUNDS
COHERENT SCATTERING
DIFFRACTION
ELECTROSTATIC ACCELERATORS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ENERGY RANGE
FERMIONS
HADRON REACTIONS
HADRONS
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
MEV RANGE
NITRIDES
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NUCLEAR REACTIONS
NUCLEI
NUCLEON REACTIONS
NUCLEONS
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
PNICTIDES
REACTORS
RESEARCH AND TEST REACTORS
SCATTERING
SODIUM ISOTOPES
STABLE ISOTOPES