Final report, U.S. Bureau of Mines Contract number H0180895

Includes bibliographical references (leaf 10)Final reportPrepared for U.S. Dept. of the Interior, Bureau of Mines H018089

Prompt activation analysis for boron and lithium

"AFCRL-63-575."Includes bibliographical references (pages 91-92)Scientific report no. 2 on contract no. AF1(604)-7492Project 4608; Task 460801Final report on contract DSR 824

Nondestructive analyses of irradiated MITR fuel by gamma ray spectroscopy

"AFCRL-65-787."Also issued as a Sc. D. thesis in the Dept. of Nuclear Engineering, 1966Prepared by Air Force Cambridge Research LaboratoriesIncludes bibliographical references (pages 243-248)Contract no. AF19(604)-7492, Project no. 5620; Task no. 562002, Scientific report no.

Study of thermal neutron capture gamma rays using a lithium-drifted germanium spectrometer / [by] Victor John Orphan [and] Norman C. Rasmussen

"January 1967.""AFCRL-67-0104."Also issued as an Sc. D. thesis by the first author and advised by the second author, MIT, Dept. of Nuclear Engineering, 1967Includes bibliographical references (pages 199-203)Scientific report, interim; January 1967A gamma-ray spectrometer, using a 30 cc coaxial Ge(Li) detector, which can be operated as a pair spectrometer at high energies and in the Compton suppression mode at low energies provides an effective means of obtaining thermal neutron capture gamma spectra over nearly the entire capture gamma energy range. The energy resolution (fwhm) of the spectrometer is approximately 0.5% at 1 MeV and 0.1% at 7 MeV. Capture gamma-ray energies can be determined to an accuracy of about 1 keV. The relatively high efficiency of this spectrometer allows the use of an external neutron beam geometry, which simplifies sample changing. Using a 4096 channel pulse height analyzer, the capture gamma spectrum of an element may be obtained in about one day. Low cross section (order of 0.1 b) elements with many weak intensity gammas may be studied. Over 100 gamma rays have been identified in the spectrum of one such element, Zr. The spectra of Be, Sc, Fe, Ge, and Zr are presented.United States Air Force contract no. AF19 (628)5551Project no. 5620; Task no. 56200

Prompt activation analysis of coal and iron ore

Prepared for U.S. Dept. of Mines, Bureau of MinesAlso issued as a M.S. thesis in the Dept. of Nuclear Engineering, 1970Includes bibliographical references (leaf 47)H018089

Examination of offsite radiological emergency protective measures for nuclear reactor accidents involving core melt

"Date published: June 1978. --Reissued: October 1979."MITNE series handwritten on title-page"SAND78-0454."Originally issued as a Ph. D. thesis by the first author and supervised by the second and third author, MIT, Dept. of Nuclear Engineering, 1978Originally issued as anIncludes bibliographical referencesEvacuation, sheltering followed by population relocation, and iodine prophylaxis are evaluated as offsite public protective measures in response to nuclear reactor accidents involving core-melt. Evaluations were conducted using a modified version of the Reactor Safety Study consequence model. Models representing each measure were developed and are discussed. Potential PWR core-melt radioactive material releases are separated into two categories, "Melt-through" and "Atmospheric," based upon the mode of containment failure. Protective measures are examined and compared for each category in terms of projected doses to the whole body and thyroid. Measures for "Atmospheric" accidents are also examined in terms of their influence on the occurrence of public health effects. For "Melt-through" accidents, few, if any, early public health effects are likely, and doses in excess of Protective Action Guides (PAGs) are "confined" to areas within 10 miles of the reactor.Evacuation appears to provide the largest reduction in whole body dose for this category. However, sheltering, particularly when basements are readily available, may be an acceptable alternative. Both evacuation and iodine prophylaxis can substantially reduce the dose to the thyroid. For "Atmospheric" accidents, PAGs are likely to be exceeded at very large distances, and significant numbers of early public health effects are possible. However, most early fatalities occur within 10 miles of the reactor. Within 5 miles, evacuation appears to be more effective than sheltering in reducing the number of early health effects. Beyond 5 miles, this distinction is less, or not, apparent. Within 10 miles, early health effects are strongly influenced by the speed and efficiency with which protective measures are implemented. Outside of 10 miles, they are not.The projected total number of thyroid nodules is not substantially reduced unless iodine prophylaxis is administered over very large areas (distances). The qualitative effects of weather conditions on the above conclusions are also briefly discussed.Prepared for Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research, Probabilistic Staff, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, under Interagency Agreement DOE-40-550-75 NRC FIN no. A103

Some applications of Ge(Li) gamma-ray spectroscopy to fuel element assay

"MIT-3944 -5."Also issued as a Ph. D. thesis by the first author and supervised by the second and third author, MIT Dept. of Nuclear Engineering, 1970Includes bibliographical references (pages 195-198)It was the object of this work to study the gamma rays emitted by the products of the interaction of thermal neutrons with the nuclei of U-238, Th-232, U-235 and Pu-239 during and after irradiation and to explore some applications mainly to fuel element assay. An irradiation facility and a Ge(Li) detector cryostat were constructed for this purpose. A new method of assaying a fuel rod containing a mixture of plutonium and uranium oxide, based on the difference in the observed yield of the fission products 1-135 and Sr-92, has been developed. The energies and intensities of the thermal neutron capture gamma rays for U-238 and Th-232 were determined. Four new lines have been found in the energy region previously unexplored for U-238. For Th-232, 66 certain lines were found, compared to 7 lines in the literature. Many prompt gammas emitted 'by the highly excited fission products following the fission of U-235 and Pu-239 were resolved in the energy region above 1.4 MeV. For U-235 fissions, 57 lines were found, and for Pu-239, 51 certain lines were recorded. The use of prompt gammas for assaying fuel rods was investigated. An accuracy of about ± 7% was obtained for the analysis of U-238 content; ± 10% to ± 20% accuracy was obtained for U-235 analysis in the range of 1% to 2% enrichment; and ± 35% accuracy for the analysis of 0.25% Puenriched rods. It has been found that Ge(Li) detectors can be operated as fast neutron detectors and used to determine the relative neutron yield. With this method, the enrichment of uranium rods can be found with an accuracy of ± 1% to ± 2% in the range from 116 to 2% enrichment. Finally, some considerations were given to the use of prompt gamma rays for measuring the initial conversion ratio C and the neutron yield parameter [eta].U.S. Atomic Energy Commission contract AT(30-1)-394

Sensitivity analysis of the reactor safety study

Originally presented as the first author's thesis, (M.S.) in the M.I.T. Dept. of Nuclear Engineering, 1979.The Reactor Safety Study (RSS) or Wash-1400 developed a methodology estimating the public risk from light water nuclear reactors. In order to give further insights into this study, a sensitivity analysis has been performed to determine the significant contributors to risk for both the PWR and BWR. The sensitivity to variation of the point values of the failure probabilities reported in the RSS was determined for the safety systems identified therein, as well as for many of the generic classes from which individual failures contributed to system failures. Increasing as well as decreasing point values were considered. An analysis of the sensitivity to increasing uncertainty in system failure probabilities was also performed. The sensitivity parameters chosen were release category prob- abilities, core melt probability, and the risk parameters of early fatalities, latent cancers and total property damage. The latter three are adequate for describing all public risks identified in the RSS. The results indicate reductions of public risk by less than a factor of two for factor reductions in system or generic failure probabilities as hignh as one hundred. There also appears to be more benefit in monitoring the most sensitive systems to verify adherence to RSS failure rates than to backfitting present reactors. The sensitivity analysis results do indicate, however, possible benefits in reducing human error rates.Final report for research project sponsored by Northeast Utilities Service Company, Yankee Atomic Electric Company under the M.I.T. Energy Laboratory Electric Utility Program

A method for risk analysis of nuclear reactor accidents

Originally presented as the first author's thesis, (Ph. D.)--in the M.I.T. Dept. of Nuclear Engineering, 1976Includes bibliographical references (pages 207-208)Prepared for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research no. AT(49-24)-026

Reliability analysis of complex technical systems using the fault tree modularization technique

Originally presented as the first author's thesis, (Ph. D.)--in the M.I.T. Dept. of Nuclear Engineering, 1980Includes bibliographical reference