I’ve been binge watching YouTube about nuclear criticality events, and I get the basic principle that you have two radioactive items and they come in contact long enough to create an event.
But I am not quite getting it. So for example, I watched a video about the demon core, but I am not sure how the shims were preventing criticality.
Thank you.
In: Physics
You need a neutron to split atoms. After splitting atoms you get more neutrons out.
If the number of neutrons that come out split the SAME number of atoms as last time, your reactor is critical, and is in a steady state condition.
If the number of neutrons that come out then go on to split LESS atoms, then your reactor is “subcritical” and the power level goes DOWN.
If the number of neutrons that come out then go on to split MORE atoms, then your reactor is “supercritical” and the power level goes UP.
If we do things that make it less likely for a neutron to split an atom then we cause the reactor power to drop. Examples are, adding neutron absorbers (poisons), removing reflectors, or making the geometry harder for the neutrons to get through.
If we do things like ADD a reflector, that means less neutrons leak out and the power level will go UP.
In the demon core, they more or less dropped a reflector on the core and it exceeded the threshold for criticality, causing a prompt power rise.
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