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The multiplication factor, k, is defined as (see nuclear chain reaction): k = number of neutrons in one generation / number of neutrons in preceding generation . If k is greater than 1, the chain reaction is supercritical, and the neutron population will grow exponentially.
The multiplication factor, k, is defined as (see Nuclear chain reaction): = If k is greater than 1, the chain reaction is supercritical, and the neutron population will grow exponentially.
The fast fission factor describes the contribution of fast fissions to the effective neutron multiplication factor The bounds of this factor are 1 and infinity, with a value of 1 describing a system for which only thermal neutrons are causing fissions.
The "Six-factor formula" is the neutron life-cycle balance equation, which includes six separate factors, the product of which is equal to the ratio of the number of neutrons in any generation to that of the previous one; this parameter is called the effective multiplication factor k, also denoted by K eff, where k = Є L f ρ L th f η, where ...
The average number of neutrons that cause new fission events is called the effective neutron multiplication factor, usually denoted by the symbols k-effective, k-eff or k. When k-effective is equal to 1, the assembly is called critical, if k-effective is less than 1 the assembly is said to be subcritical, and if k-effective is greater than 1 ...
A numerical measure of a critical mass depends on the effective neutron multiplication factor k, the average number of neutrons released per fission event that go on to cause another fission event rather than being absorbed or leaving the material. A subcritical mass is a mass that does not have the ability to sustain a fission chain reaction ...
where M is the average distance that a neutron travels before it is absorbed, and k is the average neutron multiplication factor. The neutrons in succeeding reactions will be amplified by a factor k, the second generation of fission events will produce k 2, the third k 3 and so on.
The chain reaction is characterized by the neutron multiplication factor k, which is defined as the ratio of the number of neutrons in one generation to the number in the preceding generation. If, in a reactor, k is less than unity, the reactor is subcritical, the number of neutrons decreases and the chain reaction dies out.