San Diego

The University of California (UC) at Davis received approval last week to acquire a research nuclear reactor, up to now used by the US Air Force (USAF), for use in studies in engineering, materials science, agriculture and medical therapies.

The reactor, located at the USAF's McClellan Air Force Base, about 20 miles from the university, was built in 1990, making it the youngest of the TRIGA (Training, Research, Isotopes, General Atomics) class of research reactors which are no longer being built in the United States.

The reactor will form the core of a developing research programme at Davis, which officials say will become more important in future years as older research reactors are decommissioned and not replaced.

“Eventually, UC Davis may be the only show around” for research reactors, says Kevin M. Smith, UC Davis' vice-chancellor for research. Officials say that research reactors are difficult to build because of increasing costs, the extensive environmental assessment process required and community opposition.

Under terms of the agreement approved last week by the UC Board of Regents, the reactor must be used at least 51 per cent of the time for research; the remainder of the time it can be used for revenue-producing commercial work, which university officials hope will cover some of its operational costs.

The Air Force has been using the reactor for neutron radiography to detect hidden cracks and defects in aircraft wings. Some similar work may continue as UC Davis builds up its reactor-based research programme.

After a competitive selection process, the university has appointed Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC) of San Diego as the reactor's operator. Most employees now working at the site will be hired by SAIC.

The US Department of Energy is providing $8 million to fund research and operational costs for the reactor for the next four years. And the federal government is giving $17.6 million for the future decommissioning of the reactor, expected in about 30 years.

As UC Davis develops a programme of teaching and research around its reactor, officials plan to collaborate with UC Berkeley's department of nuclear engineering, and with UC Irvine.