MIT Nuclear Reactor

I was surprisingly excited for a science field trip. It’s not everyday you can say you’re going to visit a nuclear reactor, but that’s exactly what we did on our Monday afternoon.

After a semi-stressful T ride, and only one stop later, there we were getting off at Kendall/MIT stop mid-afternoon on a sunny day in October. I had never been to that part of Cambridge before and was relatively content with our surroundings. We arrived at the reactor site and were greeted by a friendly guide who began to give us the run down. (Although I had not voiced my concern outloud, he dispelled my fears of contracted cancer from the radioactivity found in the center).

We had to sign in our names and were given a personal Geiger counter to use to measure our the amount of radioactivity we came in contact with. The number on each individual Geiger counter was taken at the beginning of our tour and recorded, be compared to the reading after. As we all amusingly and interestingly figured out this new equipment, we began our overview.

The first order of business was to understand what exactly radiation was, and the difference between radiation and contamination.

Radiation refers to the process of which particles move throughout a space. Contamination on the other hand is the negative form, basically radiation where you don’t want it. As our tour guide eloquently said it, it is “radioactive dirt.”

Facts about the MIT reactor:

-It has been in operation since 1958

-2nd largest university reactor in the country after The University of Missouri Research Center

-Used for research only, not to provide nuclear energy.

– has been the home of a progressive treatment of brain cancer, as a way to use the radioactivity to help kill the cancer cells in terminal cancer patients.

-powered by Highly Enriched Uranium but in the process of transferring to low.

Here is a picture of the interior of the nuclear reactor.

 

 

 

 

– used mainly for the observation of neutrons and radiation for research purposes

-there are 6 boron/cadmium rods which are use to either slow down or speed up the reaction. To slow down the fission/fusion, the rods are placed inside the reactor in order for the boron to absorb photons. The rods are removed to speed up the process.

-the plant uses 2200 galloons of cooling water/min to keep the temperatures in check

 

With these puzzling new facts swimming around my head, we concluded our introduction and proceeded into the high security area of the reactor. As we entered the actual room that housed the reactor, I was struck by the antiqued look of the technology. And with this thought, the guide began to explain the complexities of each switch and machine, when I realized that it was more technological than anything I had ever seen.

He showed us the radioactive barrels, one which was affectionately called Moby Dick as we made our way to the control room.

As the picture shows, the walls are lined with features that the    technician has to be familiar to ensure that the reactor is properly  monitored and in the case of an emergency. We quietly stood there in  awe at the complicated wonder of science and exited slowly, almost  unwilling to leave.

 

 

This concluded our quick but concise tour. But before we could exit the restricted area, we had to test our hands and feet for radioactivity in case we had accidentally been contaminated. Luckily we were all “clean” as the machine told us and exited successfully.

Seeing the MIT reactor, I was able to visually understand better what happened during a nuclear reaction, where it took place, and how it was controlled.