The influence of the (n, 2n) and (n, α) reactions of beryllium on the neutron balance in a BeO or Be moderated reactor and its consequences on the long term reactivity changes

The reaction probabilities in an infinite and homogeneous medium of BeO or Be have been calculated from neutron cross-section curves, for a neutron produced with an energy distribution similar to a fission spectrum; the calculation shows that, after several elastic collisions, the neutron has yet an appreciable probability to undergo a reaction, in spite of the energy degradation in the spectrum due to each collision. This degradation has been calculated, taking into account of anisotropy of the collisions. The gain of the reactivity in a reactor has been obtained after correcting these probabilities for the attenuation of the flux of fission neutrons due to the inelastic scattering in the uranium. Finally, the calculation shows that in a power reactor, this gain of reactivity is in practice destroyed in a few years by the accumulation of poisonous nuclei such as Li6 and He3 following (n, α) reaction. (author)