Oklo
Oklo is a place in the West African state of Gabon. It is famous as the general locale of a number of sites where self-sustaining nuclear fission reactions took place approximately 2,000 million years ago. This fact was discovered in 1972 when measurements of the relative abundances of the two most significant isotopes found in the uranium mined there showed an anomalous result compared to those obtained for uranium from other mines.
The natural nuclear reactor formed when a uranium-rich mineral deposit got
inundated with groundwater that acted as a neutron moderator, and a strong
near-critical reaction took place. The water moderator would boil away as the reaction increased, slowing it back down again and preventing a meltdown.
External links
- http://www.ans.org/pi/np/oklo
- http://www.physics.isu.edu/radinf/oklo.htm
- http://www.alamut.com/proj/98/nuclearGarden/bookTexts/Lovelock_Oklo.html
Referenced By
A.I. Shlyakhter | Atomic Power | Atomic energy | Atomic reactor | Fine-structure constant | Fine structure constant | KBS-3 | Natural nuclear fission reactor | Nuclear Power | Nuclear energy | Nuclear power plant | Nuclear reactor
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