Reflected-Reactor Kinetics

Abstract

The zero-power kinetic behavior of reflected reactors has been investigated using a simple model, in order to determine what modifications are necessary in the use of bare-reactor kinetics in interpreting experiments in reflected reactors, especially in regard to measurement of prompt neutron lifetime by kinetics methods. It is found that, for the usual reflected reactor, the kinetic behavior of experimental interest corresponds to that of a bare reactor with the same 1/v lifetime. The model is also satisfactory for an unusual case, i.e. the fast-thermal coupled critical done in ZPR-III, in which some deviation from bare-reactor kinetics is observed.