Today, I went to the MIT Nuclear reactor laboratory at 2 pm. when i got into the building, the employee asked me for the government official ID and I signed my name on the sheet, then they gave us a radiation detector for measuring radiation. First, the tour guide explained how the reactor works and safety measure. he told us the reactor was 52 years old. they used for research about generating neutrons for different purposes.

the tour guide leaded us to look at the reactor, and shows us the different materials used to produce radiated elements. and he showed us the control room, there was an operator who oversees the entire process. he told us that there should always be an operator present inside at all times. because they have to make sure everything is fine.

he also shows us the little room for the brain therapy where a patient get radiation to his head to kill the tumor. he said that it was an experimental process.

The reactor uses a light water cooler uses a flat plate-type finned, aluminum fuel elements. The core reactor consists of rods arranged in hexagonal pattern with one rod constantly moving to create energy. The reactor’s core is surrounded by a heavy-water tank, and there is a light water tank at the center. It is also there is 3 feet wide concrete to keep the radiation inside the reactor. The MIT reactor runs at a low atmospheric pressure to make sure it runs normally.