RE: Japanese nuclear accident: Did the reaction oscillate?

["Heinmiller, Bruce" <heinmillerb@aecl.ca>]

There is some discussion in IAEA Technical Report Series No. 211, of this
pulsing followed by pseudo-steady-state behaviour.

Bruce Heinmiller
heinmillerb@aecl.ca

> ----------
> From: 	Bjorn Cedervall[SMTP:bcradsafers@hotmail.com]
> Reply To: 	radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu
> Sent: 	Monday, November 29, 1999 6:57 AM
> To: 	Multiple recipients of list
> Subject: 	Japanese nuclear accident: Did the reaction oscillate?
> 
> Several early information sources about the Japanese nuclear accident said
> 
> that the nuclear reaction oscillated. I find this puzzling when looking at
> 
> the neutron dose rate measurements in the surroundings (IAEA report a few 
> weeks ago). My quetion is: How can a neutron dose rate be sustained at 
> approximately the same level for hours after a criticality accident?
> 
> I realize that there may be (if so, probably a very small fraction of) 
> radionuclides that emit neutrons after a fission event - but if so - which
> 
> ones would they be? Or was it an accident where - after the initial
> Cerenkov 
> flash - the nuclear reaction was continuing in some more balanced mode? (I
> 
> assume that the neutron dose rate measured in the surroundings outside the
> 
> building essentially came from the direct source - rather than from any 
> released, minor fission product).
> 
> As the information stands I question the oscillatory mode description.
> 
> Please comment or clarify my thoughts here,
> 
> Bjorn Cedervall   bcradsafers@hotmail.com
> 
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