The Physics of Nuclear Reactors

This comprehensive volume offers readers a progressive and highly detailed introduction to the complex behavior of neutrons in general, and in the context of nuclear power generation. A compendium and handbook for nuclear engineers, a source of teaching material for academic lecturers as well as a graduate text for advanced students and other non-experts wishing to enter this field, it is based on the author’s teaching and research experience and his recognized expertise in nuclear safety.

After recapping a number of points in nuclear physics, placing the theoretical notions in their historical context, the book successively reveals the latest quantitative theories concerning:

•   The slowing-down of neutrons in matter

•   The charged particles and electromagnetic rays

•   The calculation scheme, especially the simplification hypothesis

•   The concept of criticality based on chain reactions

•   The theory of the nuclear reflector, a subject largely ignored in literature

•   The computational methods in transport and diffusion theories

Complemented by more than 400 bibliographical references, some of which are commented and annotated, and augmented by an appendix on the history of reactor physics at EDF (Electricité De France), this book is the most comprehensive and up-to-date introduction to and reference resource in neutronics and reactor theory.

Introduction.- Basic concepts in nuclear physics.- Neutron interactions with matter.- Interactions of electromagnetic rays and charged particles with matter.- The slowing-down of neutrons.- The resonant absorption.- The Doppler Effect in nuclear fuel.- Neutron thermalization.- The Boltzmann equation.- Numerical methods in neutron transport theory.- The neutron diffusion theory.- Reactivity of a nuclear reactor.- The theory of the homogeneous critical reactor.- The theory of the nuclear reactor reflector.- The theory of the heterogeneous reactor.- Fuel cycle physics.- The nuclear feedbacks.- The kinetics of nuclear reactors.- Computation methods in diffusion theory.- Conclusions.- Appendices.- Reactor physics at Electricité de France.

Serge Marguet is an expert in reactor physics at Electricité De France (EDF), the French leading utility owning a fleet of 58 nuclear reactors. EDF is one of the major companies in the world nuclear field. He has taken part, for the last 30 years, in the development of the calculation scheme of the French nuclear reactors. At the beginning of the 2000, he headed the EDF research team on severe accidents, subject on which he was appointed as expert by the European Commission, in charge of the evaluation of the 6^th European Framework Programme, related to severe accidents. Serge Marguet is also teaching reactor physics at the National Institute of Applied Sciences of Bourges (France) for 15 years, as well Neutronics in the EDF Institute of Technology Transfer.