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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.
T. J. Neubert, R. B. Lees
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 2 | Number 6 | November 1957 | Pages 748-767
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE57-A35490
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Fast neutron bombardment of graphite displaces carbon atoms to interstitial positions and produces lattice vacancies. Upon heating the interstitial disturbances become mobile, move to more stable positions and release stored energy. The thermal release of stored energy was investigated by relative specific heat measurements, which are described in detail. Data are presented which show the dependence of energy storage upon extent of neutron bombardment and upon temperature of bombardment. Activation energy spectra for the thermal release of stored energy are calculated. The general trends of the data are discussed. Estimates are made of the numbers of interstitial carbon atoms, interstitial carbon (C2) molecules, and lattice vacancies in a sample of low bombardment. It is suggested that annealing of irradiated graphite causes much of the interstitial material to reintegrate with the graphite lattice by filling lattice vacancies.