SUPER-PROMPT-CRITICAL BEHAVIOR OF AN UNMODERATED UNREFLECTED URANIUM- MOLYBDENUM ALLOY ASSEMBLY
The time-dependent behavior was investigated of the neutron population in an unreflected unmoderated cylindrical assembly of 90 wt.% U (93.2 wt.% U/sup 235/), 10 wt.% Mo alloy following rapid establishment of a super-prompt critical c ondition with negligible initial neutron population. Reactivity increases up to 11 cents above prompt critical resulted in bursts yielding as many as 1.8 x 10/ sup 17/ fissions with reactor periods as short as 16 mu sec and temperature increases as large as 400 deg C. Pressure waves generated in a portion of the core held in position by an electromagnet for bursts greater than ~6 x 10/sup 16/ fissions initiated the removal of this section about 225 mu sec after the peak burst. (auth)
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-26
- NSA Number:
- NSA-16-024674
- OSTI ID:
- 4805229
- Report Number(s):
- ORNL-TM-230
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-62
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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