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This research presents and consolidates an alternative methodology for determining nuclear reaction rates along the radial direction of the fuel pellets which does not require high neutron flux. This technique is based on irradiating a thin UO 2 disk inserted into a removable fuel rod at the IPEN/MB-01 reactor core.Several gamma spectrometries are performed after irradiation using a HPGe detector. Six lead collimators with different diameters are sequentially alternated during this process, thus, the nuclear radioactive capture which occurs in 238 U and the fissions which occur in both 235 U and 238 U are measured according to six different radial regions of the fuel disk. Geometric efficiency corrections due to the introduction of collimators in HPGe detection system are determined by MCNP-5 code. The fission rate measurements are performed using the 99 Mo. This radionuclide was studied and proved ideal for these measurements because it is formed in linear behavior in the reactor core, have a high yield fission and emits low-energy photons.Measurements were performed irradiating UO 2 disks (with 4.3%enrichment) in the central position of the IPEN/MB-01 core at 100 watts power level during one hour. Some measurements were performed using a cadmium glove wrapped in the fuel rod to determine the nuclear reaction rates in the epithermal energy range. The experimental results obtained are compared with nuclear reaction rate calculations by means of MCNP-5 with ENDF/B-VII.0 data library showing discrepancies of up to 9% in 238 U capture rates and 14% for U fission rates for epithermal energies. Uncertainties regarding the nuclear capture rates have maximum values of 4.5% and the fission rates has maximum values of 11.3%.

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