Geometric buckling is a measure of neutron leakage, while material buckling is a measure of neutron production minus absorption.
2.
With this arrangement, most of the neutrons were generated at some distance from the reactor boundary, and reduced the neutron leakage to an acceptable level.
3.
In a nuclear reactor, criticality is achieved when the rate of neutron production is equal to the rate of neutron losses, including both neutron absorption and neutron leakage.