Table of Contents

1 Atomic and Nuclear Theory 9

1.1 Historical Review 9

1.2 Models of the Nucleus 10

2 Nuclear Reactor Design and Physics 53

2.1 Overall Concept and Description of Nuclear Reactors 53

2.2 Neutron Diffusion 71

2.3 Slowing Down of Neutrons 75

2.4 Criticality and the Steady State 86

2.5 Advanced Reactor Physics 96

3 Nuclear Reactor Dynamics and Control 120

3.1 Overview of Reactor Kinetics Behaviour 120

3.2 Point Reactor Model and the Inhour Equation 125

3.3 Reactor Control 138

3.4 Nuclear Fuel Management 146

4 Nuclear Reactor Materials and Fuel Engineering 174

4.1 Nuclear Reactor Materials 174

4.2 Fuel Production 202

4.3 Fuel Element Thermal Performance 218

4.4 Fuel Chemistry 240

4.5 Fuel Restructuring 248

4.6 Fission Product Behaviour 252

4.7 Fuel Performance 285

5 Thermal Hydraulics 314

5.1 Choice of Coolant 314

5.2 Definitions and Simple Two-Phase Flow Relationships 315

5.3 Two-Phase Flow 318

5.4 Pressure Drop 343

5.5 Heat Transfer 380

6 Nuclear Reactor Safety 573

6.1 Reactor Licensing and Regulation 573

6.2 General Principles of Reactor Safety 586

6.3 Engineered Safety Features 590

6.4 Reactor Safety Analysis 597

6.5 Reliability and Risk Assessment 619

6.6 Nuclear Reactor Accidents 624

6.7 Radiation Dose Calculations 640

6.8 Nuclear Emergency Response 659

6.9 Fission Product Release and Severe Core Damage Phenomena 669

7 Health Physics and Radiation Protection 711

7.1 Interaction of Radiation with Matter 711

7.2 Health Physics and Radiation Protection 730

7.3 Biological Effects of Radiation 763

7.4 Radiation Protection 779

7.5 Contamination Treatment 788

7.6 Space Radiation 788

Appendix 1 Physical Constants and Conversion Factors 811

Appendix 2 Table of Atomic Mass Excesses 813

Appendix 3 Some Values of Nuclear Spins and Parities 900

Appendix 4 Reactor Physics Parameters 903

Appendix 5 Physical and Biological Data for Radionuclides 905

Appendix 6 Cross-Sections of Some Radionuclides 907

Appendix 7 Properties of Elements and Some Molecules 909

Appendix 8 Isotopic Cross-Sections 913

Appendix 9 Direct and Cumulative Thermal Fission Product Yields for Various Fissile Isotopes 926

Index 943

About the Author

BRENT J. LEWIS, Royal Military College of Canada
E. NIHAN ONDER, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories
ANDREW A. PRUDIL, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories