As a power-generating technique, subcritical multiplication allows generation of nuclear power for fission where a critical assembly is undesirable for safety or other reasons.
2.
As a measurement technique, subcritical multiplication was used during the Manhattan Project in early experiments to determine the minimum critical masses of 235 U and of 239 Pu.
3.
Because the system is working with a criticality close to but less than 1, i . e . subcritical multiplication is achieved which increases the neutron background and produces energy from fission reactions.
4.
This " subcritical multiplication " effect can be used in two ways : as a probe of how close a core is to criticality, and as a way to generate fission power without the risks associated with a critical mass.
5.
This has effects on how reactors are controlled : when a small amount of control rod is slid into or out of the reactor core, the power level changes at first very rapidly due to " prompt subcritical multiplication " and then more gradually, following the exponential growth or decay curve of the delayed critical reaction.
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