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

THE MEASUREMENT OF PROMPT NEUTRON LIFETIME BY THE PERTURBATION TECHNIQUE THEORY AND APPLICATION TO THE ZENITH REACTOR. Project DRAGON

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:4096487
The prompt neutron lifetime of the ZENITH reactor has been determined by a static method which involves measuring the reactivity effect produced by the uniform insertion of a 1/v - absorber into the reactor. The theory underlying this experiment is discussed on a basis of multigroup perturbation theory. The theoretical and experimental limitations of the method are considered. The experimental value of the neutron lifetime obtained with the first loading of ZENITH agrees well with the result of a two group calculation carried out by means of the MERCURY digital computer. An analytical approach is made on a modified one group basis. The influence of a reflector on the prompt neutron lifetime is considered in particular. (auth)
Research Organization:
Atomic Energy Research Establishment, Harwell, England (United Kingdom)
NSA Number:
NSA-24-043717
OSTI ID:
4096487
Report Number(s):
NP--10432; DP-Report--32
Country of Publication:
United Kingdom
Language:
English