Scientists Detect a Nuclear Reactor’s Ghostly Signal After Shutdown

Scientists detect a nuclear reactor’s ghostly afterglow for the first time

Nuclear reactors may go dark, but their fuel continues producing a faint antineutrino “glow” long after shutdown. Researchers have now detected that residual signal for the first time, finding it closely matched predictions of radioactive decay inside the reactor and nearby spent-fuel pools. The breakthrough suggests antineutrino detectors could eventually monitor reactors even when they are offline.

ORNL celebrates 80 years of nuclear science breakthroughs

A scientific breakthrough at ORNL's X-10 Graphite Reactor helped pave the way for cancer research and treatment 80 years ago.

Scientists Detect a Nuclear Reactor’s Ghostly Signal After Shutdown

Antineutrinos from residual radioactive decay can reveal activity inside nuclear reactors even after they have been shut down. A nuclear reactor does not become completely silent when it shuts down. Long after power production stops, radioactive, long-lived fission products continue decaying for months or years, releasing a faint stream of particles called antineutrinos. (Anti)neutrinos are [...]

Scientists Detect Antineutrinos After Reactor Shutdown

Scientists detected antineutrinos after reactor shutdown at France’s Double Chooz experiment, opening a path toward better nuclear-fuel monitoring.