This unique volume gives an accurate and very detailed description of the functioning and operation of basic nuclear reactors, as emerging from yet unpublished papers by Nobel Laureate Enrico Fermi. In the first part, the entire course of lectures on Neutron Physics delivered by Fermi at Los Alamos is reported, according to the version made by Anthony P French. Here, the fundamental physical phenomena are described very clearly and comprehensively, giving the appropriate physics grounds for the functioning of nuclear piles. In the second part, all the patents issued by Fermi (and coworkers) on the functioning, construction and operation of several different kinds of nuclear reactors are reported. Here, the main engineering problems are encountered and solved by employing simple and practical methods, which are described in detail. This seminal work mainly caters to students, teachers and researchers working in nuclear physics and engineering, but it is of invaluable interest to historians of physics too, since the material presented here is entirely novel.

nexusstc/Neutron Physics for Nuclear Reactors: Unpublished Writings by Enrico Fermi/a6cbbbfc42d8d6214c15f1cc20ef82c7.pdf

lgli/Neutron Physics for Nuclear Reactors-978-981-4291-22-4.pdf

lgrsnf/Neutron Physics for Nuclear Reactors-978-981-4291-22-4.pdf

zlib/Physics/Nuclear/S. Esposito, O. Pisanti, S. Esposito, O. Pisanti/Neutron Physics for Nuclear Reactors: Unpublished Writings by Enrico Fermi_2361087.pdf

Enrico Fermi; Salvatore Esposito; Ofelia Pisanti

Fermi, Enrico.,Esposito, Salvatore.,Pisanti, O.

Esposito, Salvatore; Pisanti, Ofelia

Ofelia Pisanti, Salvatore Esposito

World Scientific Publishing Co Pte Ltd

World Scientific Pub Co Inc

Singapore ; London, 2010

Illustrated, PT, 2010

Singapore, Singapore

2, 20100604

0

lg1192642

producers:
dvipdfm 0.13.2d, Copyright © 1998, by Mark A. Wicks

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Contents 6
Introduction 12
Historical prelude 12
The discovery of the fission of uranium and
the possibility to produce a chain reaction 12
Natural uranium and graphite 14
Experimental piles 16
Achieving the first nuclear chain reaction
17
Further studies on nuclear piles during the war years 20
The set of lectures on neutron physics 22
Fermi's patents 27
This volume 29
Acknowledgements 31
Some Background to my Notes on Fermi's Neutron Physics Lectures (Los Alamos, 1945), by Anthony P. French 32
Introduction 32
Tube Alloys 32
The Manhattan Project 33
The British Mission 34
The Special Engineering Detachment 35
"Los Alamos University" 35
Concluding Remarks 35
Neutron Physics 38
Neutron Physics { A Course of Lectures by E. Fermi 40
Introduction 40
1. Sources of Neutrons 42
1.1 Natural Sources 42
1.1.1 Alpha Particle Sources 42
1.1.2 Photo-Neutron Sources 44
1.2 Artificial Sources 44
2. The Isotopic Chart: Nuclear Masses and Energies 46
2.1 The Isotopic Chart 46
2.2 Energy Balance of Reactions 47
2.3 The Binding Energies of Nuclei 49
2.4 The Packing Fraction Curve 49
3. The Scattering of Neutrons (Part 1) 54
3.1 General Considerations 54
3.2 Elementary Theoretical Treatment 56
3.2.1 Elastic Scattering 57
3.2.2 Inelastic (n; n) Scattering 58
3.2.3 Inelastic (n;m) Scattering 58
3.2.4 Inelastic (n; ) Scattering 59
4. Resonance: Models of the Nucleus 62
4.1 Resonance in Nuclear Reactions 62
4.2 Two Models of the Nucleus 64
5. The Scattering of Neutrons (Part 2) 68
5.1 The Solution of SchrÄodinger's Equation 68
5.2 The Scattering Cross Section 71
5.3 Neutron-Proton scattering 72
5.4 The Breit-Wigner Formula 73
5.5 The Effect of Chemical Binding on Scattering 75
5.6 Scattering Cross Section for Other Elements 76
6. Slow Neutrons as Waves 78
6.1 Introduction 78
6.2 Isotopic Effects 80
6.3 Penetration by Thermal Neutrons 81
6.4 The Production of Very Slow Neutrons 83
6.5 Reflection and Refraction 84
7. The Slowing Down of Neutrons 86
7.1 Introduction 86
7.2 The Energy Loss in One Collision 87
7.3 Many Collisions 89
7.4 The Spatial Distribution of Slowed Neutrons 91
7.5 Theory of the Spatial Distribution 95
8. The Age Equation 102
8.1 Derivation of the Age Equation 102
8.1.1 Diffusion 102
8.1.2 Energy Drift 103
8.2 The Problem of a Point Source 105
9. Thermal Neutron Distributions 108
9.1 The Basic Equation 108
9.2 Point Source of Slow Neutrons 109
9.3 Point Source of Fast Neutrons 109
9.4 Bounded Media 110
9.5 The Measurement of Diffusion Length 113
9.6 Diffusion in Graphite 114
9.7 Some Useful Quantities and Relationships 117
10. The Reflection of Neutrons 118
10.1 Introduction 118
10.2 Approximate Solution of the Escape Problem 118
10.3 Exact Solution by Integral Equation Method 119
10.4 The Albedo 122
10.5 Measurement of the Albedo 122
11. The Stability of Nuclei 124
11.1 The Binding Energy of a Nucleus 124
11.1.1 The Liquid Drop Model 124
11.1.2 Nuclear Composition 125
11.1.3 Coulomb Forces 126
11.1.4 The Odd-Even Effect 126
11.2 Determination of Coefficients 127
11.3 The Binding of Neutrons to Nuclei 128
12. Nuclear Fission 130
12.1 The Possibility of Fission 130
12.2 Limitations on the Occurrence of Fission 132
12.3 The Liquid Drop Model in Fission 132
12.4 The Particles of Fission 136
12.5 Cross Sections for Fission and Other Processes 139
13. The Possibility of a Chain Reaction 142
13.1 The Properties of Natural Uranium 142
13.1.1 The High Energy Region 143
13.1.2 The Thermal Region 144
13.2 Moderators 144
13.3 Homogeneous and Lumped Graphite Piles 145
13.4 The Possibility of a Homogeneous Pile 149
14. The Heterogeneous Pile 152
14.1 The Design of a Lumped Pile 152
14.2 The Determination of Pile Constants 153
14.2.1 The Magnitude of 153
14.2.2 (1 — fR) 153
14.2.3 Calculation of fT 154
14.3 Reproduction Factor and Critical Size 156
15. The Time Dependence of a Pile 160
15.1 The Time-Dependent Equations 160
15.2 Evaluation of the Period 162
16. Practical Aspects of Pile Physics 168
16.1 The Determination of k 168
16.2 The Study of Pile Materials 169
16.3 Energy and Radiation Production 170
16.4 Shielding 171
16.5 Other Types of Piles 173
17. Fast Reactors 176
17.1 Elementary Considerations 176
17.2 The Integral Equation to the Neutron Distribution 178
17.3 The Critical Size for a Fast Reactor 181
17.4 Supercritical Reactors 188
Problems and Exercises 190
Nuclear Reactors 196
1. Process for the Production of Radioactive Substances by E. Fermi, E. Amaldi, B. Pontecorvo, F. Rasetti and E. Segre 198
2. Test Exponential Pile by E. Fermi 218
OTHER REFERENCES 253
3. Method of Operating a Neutronic Reactor by E. Fermi and L. Szilard 254
3.1 The Chain Fission Reaction 260
3.1.1 Neutron Loss by Absorption in Uranium 263
3.1.2 Neutron Loss by Absorption in the Moderator 265
3.1.3 Neutron Loss by Absorption by Impurities in the System 266
3.1.4 Exterior Neutron Loss in a Neutronic Reactor of Practical Size 270
3.2 Measurement of Neutron Losses 271
3.3 An Illustrative Neutronic Reactor having a Solid Moderator 281
URANIUM 291
3.4 Graphite in the Reactor 295
3.5 An Illustrative Neutronic Reactor having a Liquid Moderator 299
3.6 Neutronic Reactors with Other Moderators 306
3.7 Reduction of Losses Due to Resonance Capture 308
3.8 Reduction of Neutron Losses Due to Impurities in the Material 315
3.9 Effect of a Cooling System in a Neutronic Reactor 322
3.10 An Illustrative Gas-Cooled Neutronic Reactor 325
3.11 An Illustrative Liquid-Cooled Neutronic Reactor 335
3.12 Use of Different Lattices in the Same Neutronic Reactor 340
3.13 Critical and Operating Sizes of Neutronic Reactors 344
3.14 Control of the Neutronic Reaction by Variation of Neutron Losses in or from the Neutronic Reactor 352
3.15 Uses of Neutronic Reactors 360
UNITED STATES PATENTS 363
FOREIGN PATENTS 363
OTHER REFERENCES 364
4. Chain Reacting System by E. Fermi and
M.C. Leverett 366
SUMMARY BY TYPE 378
SUMMARY BY LOCALE WHERE HEAT IS GENERATED 378
SUMMARY BY TYPE AND LOCALE 378
UNITED STATES PATENTS 414
FOREIGN PATENTS 414
OTHER REFERENCES 414
5. Neutronic Reactor I by E. Fermi 416
SUMMARY BY TYPE 426
SUMMARY BY LOCALE WHERE HEAT IS GENERATED 427
SUMMARY BY TYPE AND LOCALE 427
UNITED STATES PATENTS 444
FOREIGN PATENTS 444
OTHER REFERENCES 444
6. Air Cooled Neutronic Reactor by E. Fermi and L. Szilard 446
UNITED STATES PATENTS 483
FOREIGN PATENTS 483
OTHER REFERENCES 483
7. Testing Material in a Neutronic Reactor by E. Fermi and H.L. Anderson 484
UNITED STATES PATENTS 510
FOREIGN PATENTS 510
OTHER REFERENCES 511
8. Neutron Velocity Selector by E. Fermi 512
REFERENCES CITED 528
UNITED STATES PATENTS 528
9. Neutronic Reactor II by E. Fermi and L. Szilard 530
REFERENCES CITED in the file of this Patent 548
UNITED STATES PATENTS 548
FOREIGN PATENTS 548
OTHER REFERENCES 548
10. Neutronic Reactor III by E. Fermi, W.H. Zinn and H.L. Anderson 550
REFERENCES CITED in the file of this Patent 559
UNITED STATES PATENTS 559
FOREIGN PATENTS 559
OTHER REFERENCES 559
11. Neutronic Reactor IV by E. Fermi and W.H. Zinn 560
REFERENCES CITED in the file of this Patent 570
UNITED STATES PATENTS 570
FOREIGN PATENTS 570
OTHER REFERENCES 570
12. Method of Testing Thermal Neutron Fissionable Material for Purity by E. Fermi and H.L. Anderson 572
REFERENCES CITED in the file of this Patent 583
UNITED STATES PATENTS 583
OTHER REFERENCES 584
13. Method of Sustaining a Neutronic Chain Reacting System by E. Fermi and M.C. Leverett 586
REFERENCES CITED in the file of this Patent 618
UNITED STATES PATENTS 618
FOREIGN PATENTS 618
OTHER REFERENCES 618
14. Neutronic Reactor Shield by E. Fermi and W.H. Zinn 620
REFERENCES CITED in the file of this Patent
628
UNITED STATES PATENTS 628
Appendix A: Other Documents not Reported in this Volume 630
Scientific reports 631
Notes on meetings 634
Edited reports 647
Other contributions 651
Appendix B: The Complete List of Fermi's Papers 658
Books 659
Papers 659
Bibliography 690
Index 694

2014-07-05