5361 CANCER M a y 1949

BROOKHAVEN NATIONAL LABORATORY

NUCLEAR REACTOR

The construction of a nuclear reactor (atomic pile) and auxiliary laboratories is nearing completion a t Brookhaven National Laboratory, and initial operation is ex- pected in the fall of 1949. The reactor has been designed to provide a unique facility to serve the needs of the scientific, engineering, and industrial institutions located in the northeastern part of the United States. One of the major design considerations was that the reactor should be able to support an extensive research program. Em- phasis has been placed on reliable, safe, and continuous operation.

The reactor is an air-cooled unit constructed of graphite and unenriched uranium. The maximum thermal neutron flux is expected to be about 5 x lo1* neutrons per square centimeter per second. For experiments, one hole, 12 inches square, and sev- cral 4-inch square holes penetrating the shield at various levels will permit the inser- tion of apparatus in the interior of the reactor and the release of collimated neutron beams. The over-all width of the reactor, including the shield, is about 38 feet in the direction of the 4-inch openings. A number of automatic devices will allow controlled irradiation of samples for periods as short as 10 seconds. The top shield of the reactor consists of removable 4-foot square blocks. I t will accommodate thermal columns and large equipment designed to utilize leakage thermal neutron flux (in excess of 10’’ neutrons per square centimeter per second). Provision has been made for cages in which largc-size laboratory animals can be moved under the reactor. I t will be pos- sible to conduct research on three vertical faces of the reactor, as well as at the top and bottom.

Laboratories specially designed for handling radioactive materials are included in the reactor building. They will accommodate more than eighty scientists and tech- nicians for research in physics, chemistry, biology, and medicine.

A “hot” laboratory is being constructed near the reactor building; the structure will be linked by a monorail and by pneumatic tubes for transporting irradiated material. Three distinct facilities will be provided in the “hot” laboratory: (1) “hot cells” for remote-control processing of samples having up to 50 curies of 2 Mev gamma activity; ( 2 ) “semi-hot cells” for handling samples having 1 millicurie to 1 curie of 2 Mev gamma activity, using semiremote-control techniques, including tongs and special manipulators; and (3 ) a “semi-works” area in which large apparatus can be erected with appropriaie portable shielding. The “hot” laboratory building will also include analytical laboratories, shops, store rooms for “hot” and “cold” mate- rials, personnel locker space, and offices. Its complction will be deferred until after the completion of the reactor.