very similar to what is used in commercial nuclear power plants. Five beam ports are adjacent to the core of the reactor. This reactor is well suited for experiments requiring a large neutron flux because peaking occurs around the edge of the core due to under moderation. In September 2007, students, faculty and staff produced the most intense operating positron beam anywhere in the world. The PULSTAR reactor is a public facility and gives frequent tours with advance notice and clearance. In November 2010, the PULSTAR reactor was linked to the nuclear engineering department of Jordan University of Science and Technology (JUST). Incidents A water leak was detected in the pool, and the reactor was subsequently shut down on July 2, 2011. The leak rate was said to be (out of a ), which is far below the that is mandated to be officially reported to the regulator. The leak was said to be "pinhole" size and required special equipment to detect. After the leak was located and repaired, technicians returned the reactor to normal operations. Early history The first reactor was a part of a 1-story building called Burlington Nuclear Laboratories at the time and currently referred to as the old building of the Burlington Engineering Labs, which has classrooms surrounding the reactor bay. The old building is still in use with the reactor bay housing various new projects. The reactor itself has been completely decommissioned and moved out. R-1 In 1949, Dr. Clifford K. Beck was recruited from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory to join the faculty with plans to make NCSU the first academic institution to operate a nuclear reactor. The first reactor at an academic institution went critical on September 5, 1953, approximately four years after construction had been started. This reactor was dubbed R-1 because it was the first university research reactor. It was a 10 kW, homogeneous reactor using highly enriched Uranyl Sulfate as fuel. It operated for a short time but was shut down due to corrosion problems that lead to fuel leakage. Howard Blakeslee, science editor of Associated Press Service, called the reactor the First Temple of the Atom because of the public nature of this reactor. In 1954 construction of Burlington Nuclear Laboratory began with funds from the AEC and Burlington Mills. The purpose of this building was to house the successor to the R-1. Also in 1954 the first two