Ever wonder how tiny particles can power whole cities? In this After-Pop! we follow our previous episode with Ikhwan Khaleb and dive into the world of reactor physics — the science behind nuclear chain reactions, neutrons, and keeping everything safe and steady.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
What reactor physics actually means (and why it matters).
The “life cycle” of a neutron, from birth to absorption.
How scientists keep reactors balanced using criticality.
What students study in reactor physics classes.
Wanna learn more about reactor physics straight from the (peer-reviewed) source?
Checkout these guides:
Stacey, W. M. (2018). Nuclear Reactor Physics (3rd ed.). Wiley-VCH.
Comprehensive textbook covering neutron life cycles, chain reactions, and reactor kinetics.
Lamarsh, J. R., & Baratta, A. J. (2017). Introduction to Nuclear Engineering (4th ed.). Pearson.
Widely used undergraduate text explaining the fundamentals of reactor physics in accessible language.
Duderstadt, J. J., & Hamilton, L. J. (1976). Nuclear Reactor Analysis. Wiley.
Classic reference on neutron transport, diffusion theory, and criticality.
American Nuclear Society (ANS). (2021). Nuclear Science and Technology Basics.
Introductory resource created by professional nuclear engineers.
https://www.ans.org/nuclear-basics/
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). (2022). Reactor Concepts Manual: Nuclear Physics Fundamentals.
A regulatory training document explaining fission, chain reactions, and control systems.
https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/basic-ref/students.html