l%t''' 
 
 30Jun'48 
 
 MDDC - 1080 
 LADC - 406 
 
 UNITED STATES ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION 
 
 LOS ALAMOS FAST REACTOR 
 
 by 
 
 David B. Hall 
 Jane Hall 
 
 Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory 
 
 This document consists of 1 page 
 Date of Manuscript: Unknown 
 Date Declassified: June 27, 1947 
 
 This document Is issued for official use. 
 
 Its issuance does not constitute authority 
 
 to declassify copies or versions of the 
 
 same or similar content and title 
 
 and by the same author (s) . 
 
 Technical Information Division, Oak Ridge Directed Operations 
 Oak Ridge, Tennessee 
 
 i^M^ 
 
Digitized by tine Internet Archive 
 
 in 2011 witln funding from 
 
 University of Florida, George A. Smathers Libraries with support from LYRASIS and the Sloan Foundation 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/losalamosfastreaOOIosa 
 
LOS ALAMOS FAST REACTOR 
 
 By David B. Hall and Jane Hall 
 
 The Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory of the United States Atomic Energy Commission under the 
 direction of Dr. Norris E. Biadbury, has announced the initial operation of a new type of neutron re- 
 actor which operates on the fission of plutonium by high energy neutrons. The fact that the fission 
 process proceeds by use of high energy neutrons has led to the name of "fast" reactor. Since the 
 other existing reactors in the United States use uranium as the active material and thermal or slow 
 neutrons for producing fission, the fast reactor is new in the field of atomic energy developments. 
 
 Since the neutron and gamma radiations from nuclear reactors are of such high intensity that it 
 is impossible to remain in the vicinity of an unshielded unit, the entire reactor is surrounded by a 
 concrete and steel shield of sufficient thickness to reduce adequately the intensity of these radiations. 
 Experiments can thus be carried out adjacent to the reactor without danger or inconvenience. 
 
 The reactor is now in the final construction stages, but has been operated successfully at low 
 power since November 1946. It is planned by the Laboratory to have the reactor completed in the 
 autumn of 1947, after which time it should be operating at a power level of several kilowatts and in 
 use by the Laboratory as a source of high energy neutrons for nuclear physics in\'estigations and as 
 a pilot plant to investigate the possibilities of future high power atomic energy installations. 
 
 Numerous facilities are provided for irradiating materials in the neutron flux of about lO" neutrons 
 per cm^ per second and for allowing intense beams of moderately high energy neutrons to emerge from 
 the reactor. In order to increase the versatility, a graphite thermalizing column is provided on one 
 side of the reactor so that both fast and slow neutrons are available for experimental studies. 
 
 MDDC - 1080 [ 1 
 
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 
 
 3 1262 08907 9858