Reactor physics

Reactor physics is concerned with understanding in a detailed, quantitative manner the interactions which take place between the free neutrons and the various materials and structures which make up a nuclear power reactor. It is a very fundamental and basic aspect of reactor technology and determines many of the key operational and safety features of a nuclear reactor. It embraces the physics of the interactions of neutrons with many materials, the mathematical modelling of the flow and characteristics of the neutron field, and the sophisticated computer strategy required to handle the mathematical solutions and the vast amounts of data involved. This article attempts to summarize the key aspects and current state of the art and to do so in a descriptive manner. The mathematical content has been kept to a minimum throughout in order to render the material digestible for the non-expert reader. The first three sections are indeed rather general and may provide a sufficient discussion of the topic for many purposes. For those with rather deeper interests, however, sections 4 and 5 provide a more detailed description of current techniques. The article is a free-standing one with no references and it is hoped that it will provide the non-specialist with a broad understanding of what reactor physics is about. (author)