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U.S. Department of Energy
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What If Lady Godiva Was Wrong?

Conference ·
OSTI ID:1084666
 [1];  [1];  [1]
  1. Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
The experiment from which benchmark specifications of "Lady Godiva" were derived consisted of nested hemispheres forming a bare sphere of highly enriched uranium (HEU). That experiment was performed in the early 1950s and the critical configuration was later (1995) evaluated and published in the International Handbook of Evaluated Criticality Safety Benchmark Experiments. The benchmark eigenvalue is reported as 1.000 ± 0.001, which is representative of a high-quality benchmark experiment. Our current neutronic codes and cross section data are tailored to provide qualitative results that concur with the GODIVA I benchmark. Since 1995, additional high-fidelity HEU metal benchmark data have been evaluated and published. Calculated results from those benchmarks are consistently low. Those findings are investigated further in this paper.
Research Organization:
Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
DOE Contract Number:
AC07-05ID14517
OSTI ID:
1084666
Report Number(s):
INL/CON-12-26706
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English