Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

CURRENT OUTSTANDING REACTOR PHYSICS PROBLEMS

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:4005613
A reappraisal of outstanding reactor physics problems is presented. Outstanding problem classes in theoretical reactor physics are estimates for the errors to be expected in applying various raethods, derivation of useful physics data from operating power reactor systems, and studies of machine methods. Specific problems in theoretical physics are: the theory of epithermal migration; theoretical estimation of reactor lifetime, power, and reactivity changes associated with burnup; resonance capture; neutron thermalization; methods for coupling nuclear, thermal, and hydraulic behavior of reactors; theory of thin regions; spatial distribution of thermal and resonance flux; simplified methods of calculating control rod characteristics; programming theory of control rods and of fuel management; pulsed assembly theory for multiplying systems in the far subcritical region; methods for dealing with xenon; and burnable poisons. Outstanding experimental problem classes include development of technique, specification of properties of intermediate spectra, and barnup in operating reactors. Specific problems include neutron slowing down distributions, thermalization studies, measurements of resonance capture, raeasurements of individual contributions to temperature coefficients, effects of gaps, voids, and other anisotropic regions, neutron spectra and slowing down times measurements, multiplication of fission neutrons in Be, inhour equation for reactors with delayed photoneutrons, and yields of delayed neutrons. Problems for specific reactor systems are also discussed. (M.C.G.)
Research Organization:
Advisory Committee on Reactor Physics, AEC
NSA Number:
NSA-15-018986
OSTI ID:
4005613
Report Number(s):
TID-8210
Country of Publication:
Country unknown/Code not available
Language:
English