Book Description

Safety analyses of nuclear reactors require information about the loss of fuel which may occur at high temperatures. In this study, the surface of a uranium dioxide target was heated rapidly by a laser. The uranium surface was vaporized into a vacuum. The uranium bearing species condensed on a graphite disk placed in the pathway of the expanding uranium vapor. Scanning electron microscopy and X-ray analysis showed very little droplet ejection directly from the laser target surface. Neutron activation analysis was used to measure the amount of uranium deposited. The surface temperature was measured by a fast-response automatic optical pyrometer. The maximum surface temperature ranged from 2400 to 3700°K. The Hertz-Langmuir formula, in conjunction with the measured surface temperature transient, was used to calculate the theoretical amount of uranium deposited. There was good agreement between theory and experiment above the melting point of 3120°K. Below the melting point much more uranium was collected than was expected theoretically. This was attributed to oxidation of the surface. 29 refs., 16 figs., 7 tabs.