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B. Gas-Core-Reactor - Laser Systems

A reactor in which the nuclear fuel is partially or
totally in the gaseous or plasma state is referred to as a
gas-core reactor. The terms "gaseous core" and "plasma core"
are occasionally used. Intuitively, the first thought which
comes to mind is whether it is possible to achieve criticality
with a gas only? Surprisingly enough, criticality is easily
obtainable and the required mass for criticality in case of
UF6 is less than 20 kg. Consequently, gas-core reactors have
been proposed, reactor experiments have been performed, and
criticality actually has been achieved. The majority of
work in this field has been performed in connection with the
nuclear space propulsion effort.

A gas core reactor experiment using UF6 achieving
criticality was performed in 1969 by Kunze (170, 171). A
similar experiment was done also at the USSR (172, 173). A
more modern experiment is being performed at present at the
Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory and this experiment
became critical in 1981 (174). The older nuclear rocket
programme was concerned with developing a high temperature
reactor, which was the reason for choosing the gaseous fuel
(175-206). In the case of the nuclear-pumped laser, the
requirement is just the opposite, that is, it is desirable
to keep the temperature as low as possible. This reasoning
stimulated a new, low temperature gas core reactor programme.
Information can be found in Refs. 202 and 205 through 211.
In this context, it has to be understood that the intent
of the nuclear-pumped laser is direct energy conversion of
nuclear energy to laser light (207). This means there is no
relationship between efficiency and temperature, consequently



170. Kunze, J. F., Pincock, G. D. and Hyland, R. E., "Cavity
Reactor Critical Experiments", NUcl. Appl., 6 (2), 104-
115, 1969.
171. Lofthouse, J. H. and Kunze, J. F., "Spherical Gas Core
Reactor Critical Experiment", NASA CR-72781, National
Aeronautics and Space Administration, 1971.
172. Dmitrievskii, V. A., Voinov, E. M. and Tetel'baum, S. D.,
"Use of Uranium Hexafluoride in Nuclear Power Plants",
Atom. Energ., ~ (4), 251, Oct. 1970, (in Russian).
173. Dmitrievskii, V. A., Voinov, E. M. and Tetel'baum, S.D.,
"Use of Uranium Hexafluoride in Nuclear Power Plants",
At. Energ., 29 (4), 251, Oct. 1970, (in Russian) •
174. Barton, Jarvis and Davis, "A UF6-He Circulating Gas
Critical Assembly", Trans. ANS, 27, 930-1, 1977.
175. Bell, G. I., "Calculation of the Critical Mass of UF6
as a Gaseous Core, with Reflectors of D20, Be and C",
LA-1874, Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory, 1955.
176. Bussard, R. W. and DeLauer, R. D., "Nuclear Rocket
Propulsion", McGraw-Hill Book Co. Inc., New York, p. 160,
1958.
177. Weinstein, H. and Ragsdale, R. G., "A Coaxial Flow
Reactor - A Gaseous Nuclear Rocket Concept", American
Rocket Society, Preprint 1518-1560, 1960.
178. Ragsdale, R. G. and Hyland, R. E., "Some Nuclear
Calculations of 235U- 020 Gaseous-Core Cavity Reactors",
NASA-TN-475, National Aeronautics and Space Administration,
Lewis Research Center, Oct. 1961.
179. Meghreblian, R. V., "Gaseous Reactors for Booster
Propulsion", Am. Rocket Soc. J., E, 1962.
180. Krascella, N. L., "Theoretical Investigation of the
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Force systems Command Report RTO-TOR-63-1101, prepared
by United Aircraft Research Laboratories, November 1963.
181. Roback, R., "Thermodynamic Properties of Coolant Fluids
and Particle Seeds for Gaseous Nuclear Rockets", UARL
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182. Jarvis, G. A. and Byers, C. C., "Critical Mass Measurements
for Various Fuel Configurations in the LASL D20
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Mechanics", AIAA 67-500, American Institute of
Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1967.
184. Atwater, J. F., "Fissioning Uranium Plasma for Rocket
Propulsion", PhD dissertation, Univ. of Florida,
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185. Rom, F. E. and Ragsdale, R. G., "Advanced Concepts for
Nuclear Rocket Propulsion", NASA SP-20, 1969.
186. Ragsdale, R. G. and Willis, E. A., "Gas-Core Rocket
Reactors - A New Look", NASA TM X-67823, U.S. National
Technical Information Service, 1971.
187. Latham, T. S., "Summary of the Performance Characteristics
of the Nuclear Light Bulb Engine", AIAA Paper 71-642,
AIAA/SAE 7th Propulsion Joint Specialist Conference,
June 1971.
188. Schwenk, F. C. and Franklin, C. E., "Comparison of
Closed- and Open-Cycle System", Proc. Symp. Research
on Uranium Plasmas and Their Technological Applications,
K. Thom and R. T. Schneider, Eds., NASA SP-236, 3-13,
National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 1971.
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of Thermal Radiation in the Propellant Duct of a Nuclear
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Their Technological Applications, K. Thom and
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190. Ragsdale, R. G., "High Specific Impulse Gas Core
Reactors", NASA TMX-2243, 1971.
191. Fishbach, L. G. and Willis, E. A., "Performance
Potential of Gas-Core and Fusion Rockets: A Mission
Application Survey", NASA TNX-67940, U.S. National
Technical Information Service, 1971.
192. Hyland, R. E., "A Mini-Cavity Probe Reactor", BASA
TM X-67928, U.S. National Technical Information Service,
1971.
193. Whitmarsh, C. L. Jr., "Neutronics Analysis of an OpenCycle
High-Impulse Gas-Core Reactor Concept", NASA
TM X-2534, National Aeronautics and Space Administration,
1972.
194. Latham, T. S. and Rodgers, R. J., "Small Nuclear Light
Bulb Engines with Cold Beryllium Reflectors", AIAA/SAE
Joint Propulsion Specialist Conference, New Orleans,
1972.
195. Thom. K., Schneider, R. T., and Schwenk, F. C., "Physics
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Oct. 1974.
195a. Davie, R. N., Davis, J. R. and Schneider, R. T.,
"Optical Radiation of Fission Fragment Excited UF6 and
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196. Lee, J. H., McFarland, D. R., Hohl, F. and Kim. K. H.,
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197. Helmick, H. H., Jarvis. G. A., Kendall, J. S. and
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199. Barnard, W., Helmick, H. H., Jarvis, G. A., Plassmann, E
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Contract W-13755, May 1975.
200. Schneider, R. T., "Fissioning Uranium Plasmas and
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201. Rodgers, R. J., Latham, T. S. and Krascella, N. L.,
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203. Thorn, K. and Schwenk, F. C., "Gaseous Fuel Reactor
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Future of Aerospace Power Systems, St. Louis, Missouri,
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204. Kendall, J. S. and Rodgers, R. J., "Gaseous Fuel
Reactors for Power Systems", 12th Intersociety Energy
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205. Thorn, K., Schneider, R. 'l!, and Helmick, H. H., "Gaseous
Fuel Nuclear Reactor Research for Multimegawatt Power
in Space", International Astronautical Federation (IAF) ,
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206. Jarvis, G. A., Bernard, W., Helmick, H. H. and White, R.
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Experiments", AIM/SM 11th Propulsion Conf., Anaheim, CA,
1975.