In the field of

nuclear engineering Nuclear engineering is the branch of engineering concerned with the application of breaking down atomic nuclei ( fission) or of combining atomic nuclei (fusion), or with the application of other sub-atomic processes based on the principles of n ...

, a rabbit is a pneumatically controlled tool used to insert small samples of material inside the core of a nuclear reactor, usually for the purpose of studying the effect of irradiation on the material. Some rabbits have special linings to screen out certain types of neutrons. (For example, the Missouri University of Science and Technology research reactor uses a

cadmium Cadmium is a chemical element with the symbol Cd and atomic number 48. This soft, silvery-white metal is chemically similar to the two other stable metals in group 12, zinc and mercury. Like zinc, it demonstrates oxidation state +2 in most of ...

-lined rabbit to allow only high-energy neutrons through to samples in its core.)

References

Nuclear technology {{nuclear-tech-stub