Présidents de session
A. Oklo, from Natural core breeding to the Oklo discovery: From Natural core breeding to the Oklo discovery
- Benoit GALL
The discovery in 1972 of the natural nuclear reactors at Oklo provoked many questions among scientists, physicists and geologists. Under the leadership of R. Naudet, the CEA launched the “Franceville Project” which brought together researchers from around the world to answer the many questions raised by this discovery. The initial answers were compiled in two proceedings of two symposia held...
In 1972, before shipping natural uranium to the USSR for enrichment operations in 235U, the analysts at Pierrelatte plant noted a slight deficit in 235U: 0.7171 instead of 0.7202. The Direction des Productions of the CEA launched a vast campaign of analyses for the different mines exploited, at all stages of the elaboration of uranium: analyses on the ore, then on the yellow cake, on the...
The French PWR power reactors were using uranium enriched to about 3.5% in U235. Prior to enrichment, a routine check at Pierrelatte revealed abnormalities in U235/U238 isotope ratios. Such anomalies made UF6 inappropriate for enrichment, which was essential. An investigation requested by the General Manager of the CEA has made it possible to clarify the origin of the ore treated and the...
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In the aim to assess more the Oklo phenomenon through the numerical modelling and simulation, within the geological context based on field observations and measurements, a Python-based code is developed to automate the criticality research for a given configuration among a specific parameter, considered as the main variable of investigation. The home-made python program interacts with...
