Nuclear Reactor

[MazdaSpeed0020]

Wow thats amazing, great shots, when I saw that green water it looked so inviting I almost wanted to jump in lol. But still this thread has been sweet, very knowledable, ive enjoyed reading it.

Matt

 

[Pretzellogic]

I've never seen a pic of a reactor with the lights turned off. That is cool as hell!

 

[SpicyMchaggis]

thats ******* awesome.

 

[ne3ek]

i want to do one of 2 things, a throw some change in to make a wish, and b pee in it

 

[iluvmacs]

I just got my Nuclear Engineering degree from Purdue. Our reactor is much smaller, but the pictures are similar.

If anyone wants to know anything about the glow, nuclear safety, radiation hazards, or anything else like that, feel free to PM me.

 

[iluvmacs]

The blue glow is from the nuclear reaction ,as the uranium atoms split they produce heat and gamma radiation plus neutrons ,its the neutrons that sustain the reaction within the reactor .The blue glow is caused from the gamma radation as it is has the same properties as light , all the colors that light are asorobed by the water except the blue spectrum ,this is called the chernokov effect.
FYI I work at a nuclear reasearch facility as a process systems operator .

Actually, the blue glow is called the Cerenkov effect, but it's not from gamma radiation. Gamma radiation cannot be seen unless near a scintillator (used in detection).

Cerenkov radiation is caused by electrons travelling faster than the speed of light in water. You wouldn't see the glow unless the reactor was submerged in water, so gas reactors don't have the effect.

If you wanted to classify Cerenkov as closer to one of the 3 main forms of radiation (alpha, beta, gamma), gamma would be the closest, but not quite correct.

 

[jred321]

we have a reactor at our school too (WPI), it makes about enough power to power a light bulb they say i stay away from that building and know nothing about it