Neutronics for light water reactors phenomenology

In this course, one acquires an understanding of the basic neutronics interactions occurring in a nuclear fission reactor and, as such, the conditions for establishing and controlling a nuclear chain reaction.

The objectives of the course are:

• Introduce the main aim of neutronics in the frame of Nuclear Reactor Physics and the principle basic concepts of neutronics.
• Present and study the neutronics physical quantities of interest and their related physical phenomena and equations.

Course content:

• Brief review of nuclear physics: Nuclear reactions and radioactivity. Cross sections. Differences between fusion and fission
• Nuclear fission: Characteristics - Introductory elements of neutronics.
• Neutron diffusion and slowing down: Monoenergetic neutrons - Angular and scalar flux, Diffusion theory as simplified case of transport theory, Neutron slowing down through elastic scattering.
• Multiplying media (reactors): Multiplication factors - Criticality condition in simple cases. Thermal reactors - Neutron spectra - Multigroup theory and general criticality condition - Heterogeneous reactors.
• Reactor kinetics: Point reactor model: prompt and delayed transients.
• Reactivity variations and control: Short, medium and long term reactivity changes. Different means of control.