Abstract
In this paper we consider an approximation method for determining the critical parameters of a body of arbitrary shape (or a group of bodies) made from fissionable material. In contrast with the variational method, the method described here is extremely simple and gives an error which is favorable from the point of view of safety as applied to fissionable materials; hence it is useful for engineering calculations.
The method has been applied to fast neutron systems where the single-velocity approximation gives good accuracy.
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Literature cited
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Additional information
We wish to express our gratitude to B. D. Stsiborskii and M. L Kuvshinov for calling our attention to the experiment with the two interacting spheres; we also wish to thank V. A. Davidenko, Yu. N. Babaev and N. A. Dmitriev for discussion of the present work and a number of valuable comments.
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Zagrafov, V.G. Method of estimating the critical parameters of a body of arbitrary shape made from fissionable material. The Soviet Journal of Atomic Energy 8, 17–22 (1961). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01491226
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01491226