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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Reactor Physics Progress Report: May, 1955 - December, 1956

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/4373565· OSTI ID:4373565
 [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1]
  1. North American Aviation, Inc., Canoga Park, CA (United States). Atomics International Div.
The disadvantage factors have been measured for one-inch-diameter thorium rods inserted in a lattice of one-inch-diameter 0.9-per cent enriched uranium rods in graphite. Similar measurements were made for rods of thorium alloyed to 2, 3, and 4 per cent with uranium-235. The elementary "age" theory of the slowing down of neutrons has been improved by estimating the energy at which slowing-down ceases and at which the neutron may be considered to make the transition to a thermal distribution. This has been accomplished by means of a comparison with slowing-down theories which take into account the thermal motion of the moderator. The comparison must be made with respect to a single parameter; this may be either the migration area of thermal neutrons, the migration area to absorption, or the mean number of collisions before absorption. A straightforward comparison theory used at first differed from the elementary theory only in that the mean energy loss was made proportional to E-2kT, rather than to E; later, however, the Wilkins theory of slowing-down was applied. Using this theory, and basing the comparison on the mean number of collisions before absorption, the transition energy was found to be five times thermal.
Research Organization:
North American Aviation, Inc., Canoga Park, CA (United States). Atomics International Div.
Sponsoring Organization:
US Atomic Energy Commission (AEC)
DOE Contract Number:
AT(11-1)-GEN-8
NSA Number:
NSA-11-008174
OSTI ID:
4373565
Report Number(s):
NAA-SR--1864
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English