Our class took a field trip to the MIT nuclear reactor. The class met at the normal location, and then got on the T at Charles MGH. We took the train one stop to Kendal, and then walked to the nuclear reactor. I was not expecting such a long walk, and was wearing heals. Once we arrived at the nuclear reactor each student was signed in and given a radiation monitor, a device that everyone that enters the reactor must wear. The radiation monitor was checked to see what the base line was before entering the reactor. This was done by holding the device up and looking through it, once the initial value of the radiation monitor was determined it was logged by a staff member of the reactor. Once everyone was signed in those with bags deposited them in an office.
Since there was limited time the person facilitating our tour kept the pre tour lecture short. The tour guide gave us a brief description of the reactors core which is made of uranium. The uranium is placed in between two sheets of metal which is then flattened into a thin sheet. Once the sheet is flattened the edges are cut off of, the idea behind this is to create a uniform sheet of uranium dispersed within the metal. These metal-uranium sheets are placed in a hexagonal structure and are periodically rotated for optimal use. If the reactor needs to be shut down there are six shim blades that drop down and shut the system down. The shim blades are controlled by an automatic regulating rod.
The class was toured through the reactor and several research opportunities available at the reactor were discussed. The research that I found most interesting was the Boron Neutron Capture Therapy which was research that was being done on cancer patients. The patients that were participating in the research were patients with cancer that would have been very difficult to operate on like brain cancer. Unfortunately this research is not presently being done because there is not a medical doctor that is heading the research, though the reactor is looking for a doctor to head the operation.
It was also brought up that the reactor is habitually in the red, and does not make money. One of the ways the reactor does offset the costs of running is by Neutron Transmutation Doping of Silicon.
On our way out of the reactor every student had to have their hands and feet scanned for radiation by standing on a machine that scanned for radiation. When I stepped on this machine in my high heels I broke it by puncturing the membrane. I was thoroughly embarrassed, and apologized profusely and the rest of the class and I used the old school radiation scanning device.