Search for other natural fission reactors
Precambrian uranium ores have been surveyed for evidence of other natural fission reactors. The requirements for formation of a natural reactor direct investigations to uranium deposits with large, high-grade ore zones. Massive zones with volumes approximately greater than 1 m/sup 3/ and concentrati...
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ftosti:oai:osti.gov:5157401 2023-07-30T04:03:40+02:00 Search for other natural fission reactors Apt, K.E. Balagna, J.P. Bryant, E.A. Cowan, G.A. Daniels, W.R. Vidale, R.J. 2021-02-12 application/pdf http://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/5157401 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5157401 unknown http://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/5157401 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5157401 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS SPONTANEOUS FISSION GEOCHEMICAL SURVEYS URANIUM DEPOSITS BRAZIL CANADA NATURAL OCCURRENCE NATURAL RADIOACTIVITY NORTHERN TERRITORY PRECAMBRIAN ERA RESEARCH PROGRAMS SAMPLING SOUTH WEST AFRICA URANIUM ORES ZAIRE REPUBLIC AFRICA AUSTRALASIA AUSTRALIA FISSION GEOLOGIC AGES GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS NORTH AMERICA NUCLEAR REACTIONS ORES RADIOACTIVITY RESOURCES SOUTH AFRICA SOUTH AMERICA 2021 ftosti 2023-07-11T10:37:05Z Precambrian uranium ores have been surveyed for evidence of other natural fission reactors. The requirements for formation of a natural reactor direct investigations to uranium deposits with large, high-grade ore zones. Massive zones with volumes approximately greater than 1 m/sup 3/ and concentrations approximately greater than 20 percent uranium are likely places for a fossil reactor if they are approximately greater than 0.6 b.a. old and if they contained sufficient water but lacked neutron-absorbing impurities. While uranium deposits of northern Canada and northern Australia have received most attention, ore samples have been obtained from the following worldwide locations: the Shinkolobwe and Katanga regions of Zaire; Southwest Africa; Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil; the Jabiluka, Nabarlek, Koongarra, Ranger, and El Sharana ore bodies of the Northern Territory, Australia; the Beaverlodge, Maurice Bay, Key Lake, Cluff Lake, and Rabbit Lake ore bodies and the Great Bear Lake region, Canada. The ore samples were tested for isotopic variations in uranium, neodymium, samarium, and ruthenium which would indicate natural fission. Isotopic anomalies were not detected. Criticality was not achieved in these deposits because they did not have sufficient /sup 235/U content (a function of age and total uranium content) and/or because they had significant impurities and insufficient moderation. A uranium mill monitoring technique has been considered where the ''yellowcake'' output from appropriate mills would be monitored for isotopic alterations indicative of the exhumation and processing of a natural reactor. Other/Unknown Material Great Bear Lake SciTec Connect (Office of Scientific and Technical Information - OSTI, U.S. Department of Energy) Canada Maurice ENVELOPE(-55.817,-55.817,-63.133,-63.133) Great Bear Lake ENVELOPE(-120.753,-120.753,65.834,65.834) Cluff Lake ENVELOPE(-109.596,-109.596,58.357,58.357) Maurice Bay ENVELOPE(-109.835,-109.835,59.400,59.400) |
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SciTec Connect (Office of Scientific and Technical Information - OSTI, U.S. Department of Energy) |
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ftosti |
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11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS SPONTANEOUS FISSION GEOCHEMICAL SURVEYS URANIUM DEPOSITS BRAZIL CANADA NATURAL OCCURRENCE NATURAL RADIOACTIVITY NORTHERN TERRITORY PRECAMBRIAN ERA RESEARCH PROGRAMS SAMPLING SOUTH WEST AFRICA URANIUM ORES ZAIRE REPUBLIC AFRICA AUSTRALASIA AUSTRALIA FISSION GEOLOGIC AGES GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS NORTH AMERICA NUCLEAR REACTIONS ORES RADIOACTIVITY RESOURCES SOUTH AFRICA SOUTH AMERICA |
spellingShingle |
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS SPONTANEOUS FISSION GEOCHEMICAL SURVEYS URANIUM DEPOSITS BRAZIL CANADA NATURAL OCCURRENCE NATURAL RADIOACTIVITY NORTHERN TERRITORY PRECAMBRIAN ERA RESEARCH PROGRAMS SAMPLING SOUTH WEST AFRICA URANIUM ORES ZAIRE REPUBLIC AFRICA AUSTRALASIA AUSTRALIA FISSION GEOLOGIC AGES GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS NORTH AMERICA NUCLEAR REACTIONS ORES RADIOACTIVITY RESOURCES SOUTH AFRICA SOUTH AMERICA Apt, K.E. Balagna, J.P. Bryant, E.A. Cowan, G.A. Daniels, W.R. Vidale, R.J. Search for other natural fission reactors |
topic_facet |
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS SPONTANEOUS FISSION GEOCHEMICAL SURVEYS URANIUM DEPOSITS BRAZIL CANADA NATURAL OCCURRENCE NATURAL RADIOACTIVITY NORTHERN TERRITORY PRECAMBRIAN ERA RESEARCH PROGRAMS SAMPLING SOUTH WEST AFRICA URANIUM ORES ZAIRE REPUBLIC AFRICA AUSTRALASIA AUSTRALIA FISSION GEOLOGIC AGES GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS NORTH AMERICA NUCLEAR REACTIONS ORES RADIOACTIVITY RESOURCES SOUTH AFRICA SOUTH AMERICA |
description |
Precambrian uranium ores have been surveyed for evidence of other natural fission reactors. The requirements for formation of a natural reactor direct investigations to uranium deposits with large, high-grade ore zones. Massive zones with volumes approximately greater than 1 m/sup 3/ and concentrations approximately greater than 20 percent uranium are likely places for a fossil reactor if they are approximately greater than 0.6 b.a. old and if they contained sufficient water but lacked neutron-absorbing impurities. While uranium deposits of northern Canada and northern Australia have received most attention, ore samples have been obtained from the following worldwide locations: the Shinkolobwe and Katanga regions of Zaire; Southwest Africa; Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil; the Jabiluka, Nabarlek, Koongarra, Ranger, and El Sharana ore bodies of the Northern Territory, Australia; the Beaverlodge, Maurice Bay, Key Lake, Cluff Lake, and Rabbit Lake ore bodies and the Great Bear Lake region, Canada. The ore samples were tested for isotopic variations in uranium, neodymium, samarium, and ruthenium which would indicate natural fission. Isotopic anomalies were not detected. Criticality was not achieved in these deposits because they did not have sufficient /sup 235/U content (a function of age and total uranium content) and/or because they had significant impurities and insufficient moderation. A uranium mill monitoring technique has been considered where the ''yellowcake'' output from appropriate mills would be monitored for isotopic alterations indicative of the exhumation and processing of a natural reactor. |
author |
Apt, K.E. Balagna, J.P. Bryant, E.A. Cowan, G.A. Daniels, W.R. Vidale, R.J. |
author_facet |
Apt, K.E. Balagna, J.P. Bryant, E.A. Cowan, G.A. Daniels, W.R. Vidale, R.J. |
author_sort |
Apt, K.E. |
title |
Search for other natural fission reactors |
title_short |
Search for other natural fission reactors |
title_full |
Search for other natural fission reactors |
title_fullStr |
Search for other natural fission reactors |
title_full_unstemmed |
Search for other natural fission reactors |
title_sort |
search for other natural fission reactors |
publishDate |
2021 |
url |
http://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/5157401 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5157401 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-55.817,-55.817,-63.133,-63.133) ENVELOPE(-120.753,-120.753,65.834,65.834) ENVELOPE(-109.596,-109.596,58.357,58.357) ENVELOPE(-109.835,-109.835,59.400,59.400) |
geographic |
Canada Maurice Great Bear Lake Cluff Lake Maurice Bay |
geographic_facet |
Canada Maurice Great Bear Lake Cluff Lake Maurice Bay |
genre |
Great Bear Lake |
genre_facet |
Great Bear Lake |
op_relation |
http://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/5157401 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5157401 |
_version_ |
1772814715149352960 |