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Reactor Physics
The division's objectives are to promote the advancement of knowledge and understanding of the fundamental physical phenomena characterizing nuclear reactors and other nuclear systems. The division encourages research and disseminates information through meetings and publications. Areas of technical interest include nuclear data, particle interactions and transport, reactor and nuclear systems analysis, methods, design, validation and operating experience and standards. The Wigner Award heads the awards program.
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2024 ANS Annual Conference
June 16–19, 2024
Las Vegas, NV|Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino
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The Standards Committee is responsible for the development and maintenance of voluntary consensus standards that address the design, analysis, and operation of components, systems, and facilities related to the application of nuclear science and technology. Find out What’s New, check out the Standards Store, or Get Involved today!
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Can hydrogen be the transportation fuel in an otherwise nuclear economy?
Let’s face it: The global economy should be powered primarily by nuclear power. And it probably will by the end of this century, with a still-significant assist from renewables and hydro. Once nuclear systems are dominant, the costs come down to where gas is now; and when carbon emissions are reduced to a small portion of their present state, it will become obvious that most other sources are only good in niche settings. I mean, why use small modular reactors to load-follow when they can just produce that power instead of buffering it?
Robert R. Peterson
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 13 | Number 2 | February 1988 | Pages 279-289
Technical Paper | Heavy-Ion Fusion | doi.org/10.13182/FST88-A25105
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The limits on the cavity gas density required for beam propagation and condensation times for material vaporized by target explosions can determine the maximum repetition rate of heavy-ion fusion (HIF) driven reactors. If the ions are ballistically focused onto the target, the cavity gas must have a density below roughly 3 × 1012cm-3 at the time of propagation; other propagation schemes may allow densities as high as 1 Torr or more. In some reactor designs, several kilograms of material may be vaporized from the target chamber walls by target-generated X rays, raising the average density in the cavity to 3 × 1018 cm-3 or more. A one-dimensional combined radiation hydrodynamics and vaporization and condensation computer code has been used to simulate the vaporization and condensation of material in the target chambers of HIF reactors. Repetition rates in excess of 1 Hz are possible in the three types of target chambers studied. Means of increasing allowable repetition rates are discussed.