DOE PAGES title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: A New Era of Nuclear Criticality Experiments: The First 10 Years of Godiva IV Operations at NCERC

Journal Article · · Nuclear Science and Engineering
ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [2]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1];  [1]
  1. Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
  2. Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)

The work presented in this paper focuses on the first 10 years (2011–2020) of Godiva IV operations at the National Criticality Experiments Research Center (NCERC). Godiva IV is a fast burst critical assembly constructed of approximately 65 kg of highly enriched uranium fuel alloyed with 1.5% molybdenum for strength. Godiva is one of the last such critical assemblies in the United States and can be used for studies of super-prompt-critical behavior as well as irradiations and demonstrations. An overview of the startup of Godiva IV at NCERC is given followed by a summary of the experiments performed utilizing Godiva IV over the first 10 years of operation at NCERC.

Research Organization:
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
Grant/Contract Number:
89233218CNA000001
OSTI ID:
1900379
Journal Information:
Nuclear Science and Engineering, Vol. 195, Issue sup1; ISSN 0029-5639
Publisher:
Taylor & FrancisCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (9)

ENDF/B-VIII.0: The 8 th Major Release of the Nuclear Reaction Data Library with CIELO-project Cross Sections, New Standards and Thermal Scattering Data journal February 2018
Godiva II—An Unmoderated Pulse-Irradiation Reactor journal December 1960
A method to quantify the 37Ar emanation fraction in powders and rocks journal July 2018
Improved Cumulative Fission Yield Measurements with Fission Spectrum Neutrons on 238U journal January 2020
Improved Cumulative Fission Yield Measurements with Fission Spectrum Neutrons on 235U journal January 2019
Retrospective characterization of special nuclear material in time and space journal April 2020
Reducing uncertainties for short lived cumulative fission product yields journal September 2015
An Unreflected U-235 Critical Assembly journal May 1956
Performance Testing of Criticality Accident Detectors with the Godiva Burst Reactor journal June 2018

Figures / Tables (26)