EXPERIMENTAL AND THEORETICAL STUDY OF CRITICAL SLABS – EFFECT OF ABSORBING MEMBRANES OF CADMIUM, GOLD, AND BORON

摘要

Experiments are described in which a highly enriched slab core was bisected by absorbing membranes of cadmium, gold, and boron-polyethylene. The data included critical c core dimensions and activation traverses perpendicular to each membrane. Each assembly was analyzed by use of a onedimensional, group diffusion, digital code which computed neutron multiplication and flux distribution perpendicular to the membrane. In each calculation the membrane was replaced by an effective diffusion medium having the same thickness. This procedure is described. The results indicated that over 90% of the reactivity worth of the cadmium or gold membrane was accounted for in the calculation. The loading in the boron-polyethylene membrane was so small that calculating its reactivity worth by the method used was difficult.