Nice simulations, but why did you use graphite for the neutron reflector? Graphite is a great neutron moderator, but that is the last thing you want to do to neutrons in a bomb. Little boy used tungsten carbide and the Gadget used depleted uranium. FYI, I have all the calculations solving the neutron diffusion equation to determine the critical mass on my channel.
Hey thanks for letting me know. I'll pin your comment such that others can easily find your channel. If you can find me your specific video, I'll add that as a video-link-popup - whatever it's called. But anyways I chatted with Alex Wellerstein. He said the same thing as you, graphite is not correct for an atomic bomb. I didn't know, but I just wanted to name an example material for moderation. Miss on my side. Btw love your channel. Let me know if we should do something one day. I'm currently working on using these simulations of the Chernobyl disaster.
@@Higgsinophysics thanks for sharing with your viewers. The video is titled "How to calculate an atomic bomb's critical mass," which can be easily found on my channel. I wanted to share the direct link but TH-cam only lets the channel owner to include URLs in comments. I also got in touch with Alex when I made my videos about critical mass, I asked his permission to show his Critical Assembly simulator. I started writing the code for my own simulation but I realized that it would be too time consuming and ended up just using Alex's simulator. I am glad you liked my channel, I just discovered yours, subscribed right away. Collaborating in the future would be neat!
Nuclei absorbing neutrons eventually becomes unstable. So it will have to be replaced at some time. I guess we could have a look at the decay channel of boron-10. But control rods rarely absorbs enough to loose their effectiveness, and are instead retired due to structural issues
Well if B-10 (typically used in reactors) absorb a neutron it may becomes B-11 which is still stable, and if that absorb another one it still quickly decays to C-12 which is stable again. So it is remarkably resistant to activation. Still may affected by neutron embrittlement. (not in the case of boric acid though)
Not sure either, I don't have any great explanations other than we can calculate the scattering cross section and see it's high for neutron-graphite reactions :D
Not gonna lie, it wouldn't be my frist idea for a reflector, tungsten, berylium rather these sort of things. That being said graphite is surely a good moderator, and since moderation requires elastic scattering...
Nice simulations, but why did you use graphite for the neutron reflector? Graphite is a great neutron moderator, but that is the last thing you want to do to neutrons in a bomb. Little boy used tungsten carbide and the Gadget used depleted uranium. FYI, I have all the calculations solving the neutron diffusion equation to determine the critical mass on my channel.
Hey thanks for letting me know. I'll pin your comment such that others can easily find your channel. If you can find me your specific video, I'll add that as a video-link-popup - whatever it's called.
But anyways I chatted with Alex Wellerstein. He said the same thing as you, graphite is not correct for an atomic bomb. I didn't know, but I just wanted to name an example material for moderation. Miss on my side.
Btw love your channel. Let me know if we should do something one day. I'm currently working on using these simulations of the Chernobyl disaster.
Also, this is hilarious haha imgur.com/a/pswEp5P
@@Higgsinophysics thanks for sharing with your viewers. The video is titled "How to calculate an atomic bomb's critical mass," which can be easily found on my channel. I wanted to share the direct link but TH-cam only lets the channel owner to include URLs in comments.
I also got in touch with Alex when I made my videos about critical mass, I asked his permission to show his Critical Assembly simulator. I started writing the code for my own simulation but I realized that it would be too time consuming and ended up just using Alex's simulator.
I am glad you liked my channel, I just discovered yours, subscribed right away. Collaborating in the future would be neat!
Comes back with an absolutely amazing video. Love your content
Glad you liked it. Thank you :D
Absolutely phenomenal video!! Great to see you back!
Thank you zap! I'm glad to be back again, we should do a collab again sometime :) !
3 years waiting for the return!
Hopefully the next wait will be a bit shorter... Happy you are still here!
glad to have u back!!
it's great to be back. Thank you!
CONGRATULATIONS. Very good video and easy comprehensible explanation!
THANK YOU. Glad you liked it !
What happens to the control rod's material as it keeps absorbing neutrons?
Nuclei absorbing neutrons eventually becomes unstable. So it will have to be replaced at some time. I guess we could have a look at the decay channel of boron-10. But control rods rarely absorbs enough to loose their effectiveness, and are instead retired due to structural issues
Well if B-10 (typically used in reactors) absorb a neutron it may becomes B-11 which is still stable, and if that absorb another one it still quickly decays to C-12 which is stable again. So it is remarkably resistant to activation. Still may affected by neutron embrittlement. (not in the case of boric acid though)
Hmm wonder why graphite can reflect neutrons...
Not sure either, I don't have any great explanations other than we can calculate the scattering cross section and see it's high for neutron-graphite reactions :D
Not gonna lie, it wouldn't be my frist idea for a reflector, tungsten, berylium rather these sort of things. That being said graphite is surely a good moderator, and since moderation requires elastic scattering...
very good video
thank you, much appreciated.