Omega West Reactor

The core of the Omega West Reactor, which was used at Los Alamos from 1956 until 1992 for a variety of research projects. The reactor's fuel rods were immersed in water, which provided cooling, moderation, and radiation shielding. The blue glow—called Cherenkov radiation—is light emitted by electrons from the reactor that travel faster than the speed of light in water.

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