ML21264A173
| ML21264A173 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 09/21/2021 |
| From: | Thomas Wellock Office of Public Affairs, NRC/SECY |
| To: | |
| References | |
| Download: ML21264A173 (1) | |
Text
RE FRE SH P utting the Axe to the Scram M y th
T he N R C g los s a r y de fine s a s c r a m a s t he s udde n s hut t ing dow n of a nuc le a r r e a c t or us ua lly by r a pid ins e r t ion of c ont r ol r ods. B ut w he r e did t he w or d c ome fr om? One de e ply e ng r a ine d le g e nd a bout t he or ig in of t he w or d da t e s t o t he fir s t s us t a ine d c ha in r e a c t ion on D ecember 2, 1942, a t t he C hica g o Pile (C P-1), the firs t a t omic r e a c t or de ve lope d for t he M a nha t t a n Pr oje c t.
Ac c or ding t o t he le g e nd, E nr ic o Fe r mi c r e a te d t he a c r onym, Sa fe t y C ont r ol R od A x e M a n, for N or ma n H ilbe r r y. I t w a s H ilbe r r y s a s s ig nme nt t ha t da y t o kill a pos s ible r una w a y r e a c t ion by us ing a n a x e t o c ut a r ope t o a llow t he ba c kup s a fe t y c ont r ol r od t o dr op int o t he pile.
T he a x e-ma n s t or y now has a life of it s own. A s ea r ch on G oog le for s cr a m a nd a xe yields 124, 000 hit s. E ve n t he N R C s g los s a ry a t t r ibut e d s c r a m s e t ymolog y t o t he a x e ma n s t or y. Oa k R idg e N a t iona l L a bor a t or ie s r e por t e d a fa nc iful va r ia t ion of t his s t or y w he r e Fe r mi, pr e s uma bly unimpr e s s e d w it h t he phys ic a l pr ow e s s of his fe llow phys ic is t s, r e c r uit e d a lumbe r ja c k fr om t he Pa c ific N or t hw e s t t o do t he job. T ha t ve r s ion ha s now s pr e a d on t he int e r ne t, a nd t he a c r onym it s e lf ha s mut a t e d int o Supe r-C r it ic a l Reactor Axe Man and Start C ut t ing R ig ht A w a y, M a n.
H ilbe r r y, a s it t ur ns out, only le a r ne d t he s t or y s e c ond-ha nd ye a r s la t e r, w hic h le nds s ome doubt t o t he a xe-ma n ve r s ion. Ot he r me mbe r s of t he C P-1 t eam recalled a different orig in for t he t erm. Leona M a r s ha ll L ibby, t he only fe ma le phys ic is t pr e s e nt t ha t da y, w r ot e in he r me moir t ha t it w a s V olne y B ill Wils on w ho c a lle d t he s a fe t y r ods s c r a m r ods. She didn t e x pla in w hy he us e d t he t e r m, but he r c r e dit t o Wils on w a s s uppor t e d by ot he r s involve d in C P-1, inc luding Wa r r e n N ye r.
I c ont a c t e d N ye r r e c e nt ly, a nd he w a s e a g e r t o t e ll t he s c r a m s t or y, one t ha t s qua r e s w e ll w it h Wils on s r e por t e d ve r s ion of e ve nt s. N ye r s job t ha t da y w a s t o be H ilbe r r y s ba c kup. I f a ll s a fe t y s ys t e ms fa ile d, he a nd t he ot he r me mbe r s of t he s uic ide s qua d w e r e t o dump a liquid c a dmium s olut ion on C P-1 t o pois on t he r e a c t ion. T he a x e-ma n s t or y is, he r e c a lls, a bunc h of ba lone y.
B ut he did offe r a not he r e x pla na t ion for t he w or d. H is r e c olle c t ion w a s t ha t Wils on w a s a s s e mbling a n e le c t r ic a l pa ne l tha t inc lude d a big r e d but t on. Ac c or ding t o N ye r, s ome one a s ke d Wils on t he r e a s on for t he r e d knob. Wils on r e plie d you d pus h it if t he r e w a s a pr oble m. We ll, t he n w ha t do you do? he w a s a s ke d. Wils on r e por t e dly r e plie d, Y ou s c r a m out of he r e. T he w or d a ppe a r s t o ha ve s t uc k.
Fur t he r indic a t ion t ha t s c r a m w a s a s s oc ia te d w it h Wils on s s hut dow n c ir c uit r y a nd not H ilbe r r y s a x e wielding c omes fr om E nr ic o Fer mi. T he AE C dec la s s ified infor ma t ion on t he C hic a g o Pile in la t e 1950, a nd Fe r mi a ut hor e d a 1951 te c hnic a l r e por t on t he r e a c t or de t a iling t he c ir c uit r y of t he SC R A M line de s ig ne d by Wils on s t e a m. (Se e ht t p: //w w w. os t i. g ov/s c it e c h/s e r vle ts /pur l/4 4 1 4 2 0 0).
And s o it s e e ms like ly t ha t sc r a m s w it c he s a ll ove r t he w or ld ow e t he ir na me s not t o t he nuc le a r indus t r y s la t e r pe nc ha nt for a c r onyms, but t o t he s la ng of 20t h c e nt ur y Ame r ic a.
B y Thoma s We lloc k, NR C H is t or ia n