Experiments of water-moderated plutonium metal arrays: part I — description

In the mid-1970s and early 1980s, almost 100 critical and approach-to-critical experiments using water-moderated plutonium metal arrays were performed at the Rocky Flats Critical Mass Laboratory. The experiments were performed in two programs: 2x2xN arrays conducted in the 1970s and 3 x 3 x 3 arrays conducted in the 1980s. Both sets of experiments used the same double-canned plutonium parts and were water moderated. The major differences between the two programs were the support structure and tank and the administrative limits on criticality. This paper summarizes the critical data and results of both sets of experiments. These experiments are then analyzed in a companion paper.