Nuclear reactor starting up (TRIGA) from r/interestingasfuck
This is called Cherenkov Radiation - this happens when charged particles (electrons/beta radiation released during nuclear criticality, I think) pass through a medium (water in this case) at a velocity greater than the phase velocity of light in that same medium.
Short story: the radiation coming off of that underwater reactor is hauling so much ass, it's generating its own light. 
When the Pons-Fleischman cold fusion reactor claim went cold, I theorized
ReplyDeletethat cold fusion might be possible by pulsing particals. The only question
would be if the energy output exceeded the amount of energy consumed in
the acceleration process. If you get more energy out that you put into
the process while still mitigating the temperature, cold fusion could
become a reality.
That is a reactor going prompt critical which in power reactor is a BAD thing. These pulse power reactors are designed to be able to generate massive short pulses of power without overheating or damaging the fuel rods.
ReplyDeleteThe noise is the air cylinder yanking the primary control rod out, then dropping it back home at the end of the run.