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2026 ANS Annual Conference
May 31–June 3, 2026
Denver, CO|Sheraton Denver
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Christmas Light
’Twas the night before Christmas when all through the house
No electrons were flowing through even my mouse.
All devices were plugged by the chimney with care
With the hope that St. Nikola Tesla would share.
L. Leibowitz, L. Baker, Jr., J. G. Schnizlein, L. W. Mishler, J. D. Bingle
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 15 | Number 4 | April 1963 | Pages 395-403
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE63-A26456
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Measurements have been made of the maximum burning temperatures and the propagation velocities along strips of uranium and zirconium foils and wires burning in air. Measurements were made using either a high-speed motion picture camera or a specially constructed two-slit electronic pyrometer. Burning temperatures and propagation velocities were measured as a funcion of both sample width and sample thickness. It was found that burning propagation velocities could be reasonably well described by a thermal propagation theory similar to one applied to flame propagation in gases. Variation of propagation rates with thickness and width of foil were correctly described by the theory. The results of the study are applicable to the combustion of isolated pieces of uranium and zirconium scrap but not directly to the more complicated case of the combustion of large aggregates. Some of the additional factors involved in large aggregate fires are discussed.