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The deadline arrives: Checking in on the Reactor Pilot Program
On May 23, 2025, President Trump signed Executive Order 14301, “Reforming Nuclear Reactor Testing at the DOE,” which instructed the Department of Energy to create a Reactor Pilot Program (RPP)—a new system in which companies could pursue DOE authorization to build and test their first-of-a-kind nuclear technologies. EO 14301 set an ambitious goal for that program: three reactors achieving criticality by July 4, 2026.
I. Pázsit, Y. Yamane
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 133 | Number 3 | November 1999 | Pages 269-281
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE99-A2087
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The Feynman- and Rossi-alpha formulas are calculated for subcritical systems driven by a multiple emission source, i.e., one that emits several neutrons on each source emission event. The prime example of such sources is a spallation source, which will be used in future accelerator-driven subcritical systems (ADS), such as the energy amplifier. The Feynman- and Rossi-alpha formulas are calculated with backward master equations for such systems. The essence of the theory is a formula that connects the probability distribution of a cascade, induced by one single particle, with that induced by a continuous source of particles. Compact and consistent expressions are found for both the Feynman- and Rossi-alpha formulas. In agreement with earlier forward-theory-based or heuristic calculations, it is shown that the presence of the spallation source does not alter the time-dependence of the formulas, but enhances its amplitude. Hence, both methods appear to be promising to be used in future stationary ADS systems with relatively large subcriticalities.