Neutron Moderator
A neutron moderator is a material that slows down neutrons in a nuclear reactor to increase the probability of nuclear fission. The moderator is placed in the reactor core and interacts with the neutrons, reducing their kinetic energy and increasing the likelihood of a successful collision with a fissile nucleus. The most commonly used neutron moderators are light water, heavy water, and graphite. Light water is the most widely used moderator in commercial nuclear power plants, while heavy water is used in some research reactors. Graphite is used in certain types of reactors, such as the RBMK reactors in the former Soviet Union. The effectiveness of a neutron moderator is measured by its moderation factor, which is the ratio of the number of neutrons that undergo a collision in the moderator to the number of neutrons that undergo a collision in a vacuum.
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