The UC Davis McClellan Nuclear Radiation Center (UCD MNRC) is owned and operated by the University of California, Davis.

The UCD MNRC was originally developed by the US Air Force to detect low-level corrosion and hidden defects in aircraft structures using neutron radiography. Since then, UCD MNRC service has expanded to include computer tomography (three-dimensional neutron radiography), silicon doping, isotope production, neutron activation analysis, and radiation effects testing. We have the capability to move materials and parts into the central core facility, and locations adjacent to the core while the reactor is operating.

The Reactor

Our reactor, which began operation in 1990, is the newest research reactor in the United States. It is also the highest power TRIGA^TM (Training, Research, and Isotope Production General Atomic) reactor in the United States, rated at 2Megawatts (MW) in steady state and can pulse to approximately 1000 MW for 20 milliseconds However, it is much smaller than a power reactor used for generating electricity. TRIGA^TM reactors, including this one, are designed to be fail-safe. They are passive reactors that require no action to maintain safety. A testament to this is the fact that there have been no environmental or safety problems with TRIGA^TM reactors since they first began operating in 1968.

For more information on TRIGA^TM reactors you can visit the General Atomic website.