The process of de-excitation of the actinides is a very important question in both pure and applied science. In this dissertation the process was studied using the neutrons emitted in coincidence with fission induced by the bombardment of ²³⁸U with 14.85 MeV deuterons. Neutrons can be emitted at multiple stages...
A hybrid Quasi-diffusion/Monte Carlo Method for solving multigroup criticality problems in slab geometry was investigated. Analog Monte Carlo was used to calculate functionals (Eddington Factors) that were then used in solution of the quasi-diffusion equations. The hybrid method was shown to accurately and precisely predict the k-eigenvalue and fission source...
The United States nuclear industry is under
significant public pressure to close the nuclear fuel
cycle. Closing the fuel cycle will require that nuclear
waste, fission products and transuranics, except plutonium
(actinides), be disposed of by permanent burial. The
actinides can be buried with the fission products, but this
will...
This work focuses on the generation and collection of four specific
radioxenon isotopes; xenon-131m, xenon-133m, xenon-133 and xenon-135. These
nuclides are created by fissioning a highly enriched uranium sample using a
thermal neutron source from a university research reactor. The three main aspects
of this work include:
(1) Conducting preliminary...