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The Measurement of Dynamic Nuclear Reactor Parameters Using the Variance of the Number of Neutrons Detected

Robert W. Albrecht

Nuclear Science and Engineering / Volume 14 / Number 2 / October 1962 / Pages 153-158

Technical Paper / dx.doi.org/10.13182/NSE62-A28114

A mathematical model is developed for the ratio of the variance to the mean number of neutrons detected in a point, unloaded reactor as a function of counting time. The model includes the effect of delayed neutrons. An experiment is performed which measures this statistic for counting times between one millisecond and ten seconds. The predictions of the model and the results of the experiment are compared. It is shown that a reduced two-delay group model predicts the experimental results fairly well.