Maryland University Training Reactor

The Maryland University Training Reactor (MUTR) is a water-cooled, pool-type nuclear reactor used for research and education. The reactor uses a uranium/zirconium hydride (TRIGA – Training Research Isotopes General Atomics) fuel with excellent safety characteristics. The MUTR is licensed by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission to operate at thermal powers up to 250 kW, and is used to support the educational missions of the University of Maryland, as well as provide a source of neutrons and other radiation for research applications.

The MUTR was constructed in 1960 by Allis-Chalmers, and upgraded to a TRIGA core in 1974. The design includes 5 experimental facilities which can be used for neutron or gamma irradiations, isotope production, neutron activation analysis (NAA), neutron radiography, neutron detector testing, and other applications.

  • The pneumatic Rabbit is an in-core irradiation facility. Samples up to 0.75” in diameter and 1.80” in length or 0.60” in diameter and 2.15” in length to be rapidly inserted or removed from the core while the reactor is operating. This facility is primarily used for NAA and small sample irradiations. Larger samples may also be manually lowered down the tube and include active monitoring. The Rabbit system may also be used to produce short lived isotopes such as Na-24, Al-27, Ar-41, Cu-64, or others for experiments. The peak thermal flux is 5*1012 n/cm2/s .
  • The Thermal Column uses 60″ of graphite to provide highly thermalized neutrons for experiments. It is currently configured to provide a 40 mm diameter beam of neutrons for neutron detector testing and radiography.
  • The East Beam Port can be used to provide a neutron beam for testing, or samples up to 5.25″ in diameter may be placed inside for irradiations.
  • The West Beam Port can be used to provide a neutron beam for testing, or samples up to 5.25″ in diameter may be placed inside for irradiations.
  • The Through Tube runs across the reactor pool adjacent to the core, samples up to 5.25″ in diameter may be placed inside for irradiations or activations.
  • Irradiation of samples in the pool near the core is also possible.

The MUTR supports several classes at UMD, and a Reactor and Radiation Measurements Lab is taught by the Radiation Facilities. Interested undergraduate students may apply to the Reactor Operator Training Program to study to earn a Reactor Operator License at the MUTR. Tours for classes and groups from the public are also offered.

If you are interested in using the MUTR contact us at radiation@umd.edu. The Radiation Facilities staff will work with you to develop a plan for the experiment. Some experiments like Neutron Activation and Neutron Imaging have broad authorizations and as long as the sample meets certain conditions it will be approved. More complex experiments will need to have an experimental proposal approved by the Reactor Safety Committee. The Radiation Facilities Staff will work with you to prepare the proposal. An important consideration in the experimental proposal is the disposition of the samples after the experiment; the return of anything made radioactive in the reactor requires you to have a Radioactive Materials License.