Posted on April 5: McMaster Nuclear Reactor celebrates 45 years of groundbreaking research
[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/Mike_Butler_Nuclear_Reactor.jpg” caption=”Mike Butler “]Nearly half a century ago, a round hole was dug at the west end of campus to make room for a structure that would revolutionize radiation research and education.
From it, new cancer fighting isotopes would be produced, fossilized specimens would be dated, students, researchers and scientists from around the world would have access to some of the most sophisticated research facilities, and a Nobel Prize would be born.
On April 4, McMaster's Nuclear Reactor (MNR) marked its 45th anniversary. The reactor, built under the leadership of former McMaster President Harry Thode, opened in 1959 by John Diefenbaker, then Prime Minister of Canada. It was the first university-based research reactor in the British Commonwealth and today is the only Canadian medium flux reactor in a university environment.
The reactor is a pool-type research reactor that operates weekdays from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. at a thermal power of two megawatts. As a multidisciplinary facility, it is home to research in a variety of areas in nuclear science, engineering, and health and radiation physics. Within its walls are neutron beam experiments, isotope production, neutron activation research and neutron radiography research. It is also an educational tool for students in engineering, science and health and radiation physics.
“McMaster is very fortunate to have this facility because we can do so much for people, both here and worldwide,” says Mike Butler, manager of reactor operations. “We are conducting research that is helping revolutionize cancer therapies, it is helping date artifacts, and it provides opportunities for academics around the world that they wouldn't otherwise have.”
One of the reactor's biggest success stories was the accomplishment of a Nobel Prize for one of MNR's former researchers Bertram Neville Brockhouse. Brockhouse received a Nobel Prize in Physics in 1994 for inventing the triple-axis spectrometer while at Chalk River Nuclear Laboratories in the 1950s. His work shed new light on how atoms behave and paved the way for a host of later advances in solid state physics.
While the reactor is home to groundbreaking research and multidisciplinary education, it is also a valuable resource for industry, says Chris Heysel, director of nuclear operations & facilities. “Another important part of our operation is to supply neutrons to a variety of small Canadian companies. These companies use the neutrons for a wide variety of applications, including ensuring the safety of engineered products like aircraft components or to analyze soil samples to direct the location of mining operations.”
The reactor has experienced much success over the years, but there have also been some challenges, Heysel says. He points to the aftermath of the attacks on September 11, 2001.
“We have always taken the security of our facility very seriously. Following 9/11 the industry and the University revisited the security of facilities and made changes commensurate within the environment. McMaster continues to meet and exceed the security standards of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission as validated through numerous external audits.”
Safety is also an extremely important factor in operations, he adds. “Safety is the first thing you think of when you make any decision in the reactor, whether it's opening a valve or making a design change. Safety is the criteria that every decision is judged against.”
Heysel sees only growth for the reactor. He points to recent strategic decisions made by the University in applied radiation sciences, such as the formation of the McMaster Institute of Applied Radiation Sciences. “The University administration has put their commitment behind this research endeavor. Strategically, the University considers applied radiation sciences as one of the key areas of research for the University.”
He says the fact that the MNR is celebrating its 45th anniversary speaks to the people associated with it. “The success of the facility is a result of the original vision of Dr. Thode, the excellence of the people operating and maintaining the facility and the ingenuity and dedication of the research community who bring life to the reactor.”
Photo captions: Top, Mike Butler, manager of reactor operations, in front of the reactor pool. Photo credit Chantall Van Raay
Below: then and now: Construction of the nuclear reactor in 1957 and a recent photo of the facility. Photo courtesy McMaster Nuclear Reactor
