A) Overview
Today, I had a trip to MIT nuclear reactor along with Dr. Shatz and other friends in my class.
B) Weather
Sunny, nice, comfortable
C) Brief summary about the trip
-Walk to Charles/MGH station from Suffolk University Archer building, then travelling T train and arrive at Kendal/MIT, walk to MIT nuclear reactor for around ten minute
-Arrived there at around 2 p.m and sign ourselves in
-In the next hour, introduction and explanation are talked by two workers
-Leave MIT nuclear reactor at around 3:20 p.m and went home with my friend, Yoshi by train (reversed way)
D) What’s about it? (Their missions and goals: From Brochure)
The MIT Nuclear Reactor Laboratory (MIT-NRL) is a leading university laboratory that conducts interdisciplinary research. MIT-NRL operates a 5 MW nuclear reactor in the United States. Our mission is to provide faculty and students from MIT and other institutions with both a state-of-the-art neutron source and the infrastructure required to facilitate to use of the reactor.
E)Journal Entry
In a sunny and nice weather, I had a trip to MIT nuclear reactor along with Dr. Shatz and other friends in my class.
Gathering in the room we always had class at 1: 10 p.m, we set our trip. We walked to Charles/MGH station together while Dr. Shatz rode a bike. Our stop was Kendal/MIT, which was only one stop behind Charles/ MGH station. Then, we walked to MIT nuclear reactor for around ten minute.
We arrived there at around 2 p.m and sign ourselves in. There was a woman helped us out. She took out a tool and looked at the lights. I was not sure about the name but it was how she looked at our radiations.
In the next hour, there were some brief introductions and explanations that are shared by two workers. They gave us a brief visit on almost every single thing. They showed us the reactors and control room. What impressed me the most was how we got through from one space to another by using a door. There was a machine that could detect the worker’s eyes and let her go in. We just followed by. Before we left the MIT nuclear reactor at around 3:20 p.m, we had to clean our hands. There was a machine that could clean our hands in five seconds when we put our hands in it. Isn’t it interesting? To leave, I went home with my friend, Yoshi by train by using the reversed way.
It was a wonderful feeling to visit MIT. It was my first time to be there. This experiment could definitely give me have a little recognition the uses of reactors.
F) What are these?
A) Reactor Top View B) Nuclear Reactor Core C) Reactor Floor View D) Reactor core with Cerenkov Radiation #) Sillicon area and Prompt Gamma Facility G) Control Panel for Boron Neutron Capture Therpy Irradiation H) Fission Converter Process System I) The NRL control room
G) Experimental facilities: The MITR operates at full power 24 hours a day, 7 days per week. A typical fuel cycle lasts about 6 weeks. Table 1 is summary of the neutron fluxes of the major experimental facilities.
Table 1. MITR Neutron Flux Levels at 5 MW
| Facility | Size | Thermal Neutron Flux (n/cm2-s) |
| In-core Irradiation Facilities | Up to three available ~ 2” ID x 24” |
3 x 1013, (up to 1 x 1014 fast) |
| Medical Facilities: | ||
| Fission Converter Beam | Variable beam aperture | Epithermal: 5 x 109 |
| Thermal Neutron Beam | Variable beam aperture | up to 1 x 1010 |
| Ex-core Irradiation Facilities: | ||
| Pneumatic Tubes | 2” ID tube 1” ID tube |
5 x 1013, (up to 4 x 1012fast) 8 x 1012 |
| Vertical Ports | 3” ID x 24″ | 4 x 1012 |
| Beam Ports | 12 horizontal: 4” to 12” ID | 4 x 1012 – 8 x 1013* |
| Through Ports | 4” Port 6” Port |
5 x 1012* 1 x 1013 |
