Course Meeting Times
Lectures: 2 sessions / week, 1.5 hours / session
Course Description
This course introduces fundamental properties of the neutron. It covers reactions induced by neutrons, nuclear fission, slowing down of neutrons in infinite media, diffusion theory, the few-group approximation, point kinetics, and fission-product poisoning. It emphasizes the nuclear physics bases of reactor design and its relationship to reactor engineering problems.
Course Structure
Textbook
Lewis, Elmer E. Fundamentals of Nuclear Reactor Physics. Burlington, MA: Academic Press, 2008. ISBN: 9780123706317.
Additional Resources
Duderstadt, James J., and Louis J. Hamilton. Nuclear Reactor Analysis. 1st ed. New York, NY: Wiley, 1976. ISBN: 9780471223634.
Lamarsh, John R., and Anthony J. Baratta. Introduction to Nuclear Engineering. 3rd ed. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2001. ISBN: 9780201824988.
Assignments
Eight problem sets will be assigned and graded during the semester. The seven highest marks will be averaged and will count towards 20% of the final grade. Homework should ideally be made individually. You may work and get help from classmates, but please do not copy of each other. Also, feel free to use prior year’s material for additional help (e.g. MIT OpenCourseWare).
Grading
| ACTIVITIES | PERCENTAGE |
|---|---|
| Homework | 20% |
| Exam 1 | 20% |
| Exam 2 | 20% |
| Exam 3 | 20% |
| Final exam | 20% |
MIT Statement on Plagiarism
Plagiarism—use of another’s intellectual work without acknowledgement—is a serious offense. It is the policy of the Literature Faculty that students who plagiarize will receive an F in the subject, and that the instructor will forward the case to the Committee on Discipline. Full acknowledgement for all information obtained from sources outside the classroom must be clearly stated in all written work submitted. All ideas, arguments, and direct phrasings taken from someone else’s work must be identified and properly footnoted. Quotations from other sources must be clearly marked as distinct from the student’s own work. For further guidance on the proper forms of attribution, consult the style guides available at the Writing and Communication Center and the MIT Web site on Plagiarism.
Calendar
| LEC # | TOPICS | KEY DATES |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reactor Fundamentals / Nomenclature / Nuclear Reactions / Nuclear Stability | |
| 2 | Neutron Sources / Binding Energy / Fission Process / Chart of Nuclides | |
| 3 | Radioactive Decay / Cross-Sections | |
| 4 | Compound Nucleus / Resonances / Neutron Scattering | Problem set 1 due |
| 5 | Neutron Slowing Down / Neutron Flux / Moderators / Energy Condensation | |
| 6 | Power Reactors I (LWRs / Neutron Life Cycle) | Problem set 2 due |
| 7 | Power Reactors II (CANDU / Advanced LWRs, Gas Reactors, …) | |
| 8 | Exam Review and Homework 3 Rreview | Problem set 3 due |
| 9 | Exam 1 (Chapters 1-4) | |
| 10 | Transport Equation | |
| 11 | Criticality / Flux / Current / BCs | Problem set 4 due |
| 12 | Kinetics Approximation | |
| 13 | Delayed Neutrons / Photoneutrons / Inhour | Problem set 5 due |
| 14 | Prompt Jump Approximation | |
| 15 | Exam 2 (Chapter 5 and Transport Equation Notes) | |
| 16 | Diffusion Equation - One Group | |
| 17 | Non-Multiplying Systems / Multiplying Systems | |
| 18 | Diffusion – Two Groups | Problem set 6 due |
| 19 | Bare Reactors / Reflectors | |
| 20 | Control Rods / Burnable Poisons | Problem set 7 due |
| 21 | Exam 3 (Chapters 6-7) | |
| 22 | Energy Transport | |
| 23 | Reactivity Feedback / Transients | Problem set 8 due |
| 24 | Reactor Control / Xenon / Samarium | |
| 25 | Depletion / MA | |
| 26 | Final Exam (Chapters 1-10) |
