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Oh, My Darling Clementine: A Detailed History and Data Repository of the Los Alamos Plutonium Fast Reactor

Hannah K. Patenaude, Franz J. Freibert

Nuclear Technology / Volume 209 / Number 7 / July 2023 / Pages 963-1007

Technical Paper / dx.doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2023.2176686

Received:August 12, 2022
Accepted:January 31, 2023
Published:June 5, 2023

The Los Alamos Plutonium Fast Reactor, Clementine, provided the first fast neutron spectrum using a metallic plutonium fuel system and liquid mercury coolant. Clementine is often mentioned in the history of fast, metal-fueled, or metal-cooled designs, with little public information regarding the specifications or timeline. This paper contains a synopsis of each report regarding the development, operation, experimental results, failures, and subsequent disassembly of Clementine to explore this unique reactor within the context of modern advanced reactor development.