Triga Mark II Nuclear Reactor Facility

See inside the TRIGA Mark II nuclear reactor facility

 

The Kansas State University TRIGA Mark II nuclear reactor facility supports academic and education programs, research, industrial service and outreach. Students in the MNE nuclear option utilize the reactor in two reactor operation laboratory classes, and as a neutron and gamma source for a radiation-detection course. The facility provides sample irradiations and tours for many other courses within the university, and provides tours for area students from grade school to college age.

The reactor is licensed to operate at up to 1.25 MW. Its research capabilities include a variety of neutron beams for detector testing, internal imaging using neutron radiography and tomography, tracer isotope production, and trace element analysis via neutron activation analysis. The facility is staffed almost entirely by licensed undergraduate student operators, providing both an excellent opportunity for the students and supporting the manpower needs of the local nuclear power industry.

Available experiments
  • Neutron activation analysis using HPGe spectrometers
  • Neutron irradiation: nvt = ~1E8 – 1E18 neutrons/cm2
  • Gamma irradiation: up to ~500 krad/hr for samples below 50 mL in size, and up to ~1 krad/hr for samples up to 20 L in size
  • Neutron radiography
  • Neutron detector testing: four beam ports with distinct neutron spectra, and Cf-252 neutron/gamma source
Fees

Operations: $150/hour (on-campus experimenters) to $225/hour (off-campus experimenters). This fee is typically waived for outreach activities.

Tours: Groups up to 40, $100 (internal)/$150 (external). To schedule a one hour tour, please contact Robert Seymour or Dr. Alan Cebula.

Contact information

Alan Cebula
Nuclear Reactor Manager
112 Ward Hall
785-532-6657
alanc@k-state.edu

Robert Seymour
Nuclear Reactor Supervisor
117 Ward Hall
rseymour@k-state.edu

People
Experimental facilities