Press "Enter" to skip to content

UC Davis McClellan Nuclear Radiation Center at McClellan Park

UC Davis McClellan Nuclear Radiation Center at McClellan Park (former McClellan AFB)
McClellan, CA 95652
http://mnrc.ucdavis.edu/
No Admission cost
Research nuclear reactor. Physics topics include fission reactions, necessary safety precautions and use of control rods.

From their website:

The UCD MNRC was originally developed by the US Air Force to detect low-level corrosion and hidden defects in aircraft structures using neutron radiography. Since then, UCD MNRC service has expanded to include computer tomography (three-dimensional neutron radiography), silicon doping, isotope production, neutron activation analysis, and radiation effects testing. We have the capability to move materials and parts into the central core facility, and locations adjacent to the core while the reactor is operating.

The highlight of the tour was standing above the reactor and looking through the water to see the Cerenkov radiation. Even the most jaded high school senior stood their with a sense of awe.
They can’t take very large groups at one time, I think the limit was 20 students.

Click MNRC image above for their web site.

Be First to Comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.