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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
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Fusion Science and Technology
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Proof of concept: The Molten Salt Reactor Experiment in Nuclear News
By late 1960, when the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission authorized plans to build a Molten Salt Reactor Experiment (MSRE) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the lab already had about 13 years of experimentation with molten salt reactors under its longest-serving lab director, Alvin Weinberg. The MSRE operated from 1965 to 1969, proving that molten salt reactors could operate reliably, and with alternatives to uranium-235 too.
A.A. Ivanov, G.F. Abdrashitov, A.V. Anikeev, P.A. Bagryansky, P.P. Deichuli, A.N. Karpushov, S.A. Korepanov, A.A. Lizunov, V.V. Maximov, S.V. Murakhtin, A. Yu. Smirnov, A.A. Zouev, K. Noack, G. Otto
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 43 | Number 1 | January 2003 | Pages 51-57
Overview | doi.org/10.13182/FST03-A11963562
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
GDT experiments of significance to a GDT-based neutron source development are reported in the areas of generation of axially peaked neutron flux profile, stable confinement with on-axis plasma beta ~ 40%, and radial electric field control. Skew injection of 4MW 15-17keV deuterium neutral beams into central cell resulted in generation of strongly peaked axial profile of neutron flux density. This can be described by a model of fast ion relaxation, which involves only classical mechanisms of electron drag and binary ion-ion collisions. Experiments with the radial limiter biasing show that the plasma density profile and radial losses respond to the electric filed profile. An increase of plasma energy was achieved with increased magnetic field in the central cell and optimized radial profile of electric field in the plasma. In these regimes of improved target plasma confinement, the on-axis plasma beta near the turning points of fast deuterons exceeded, as above mentioned, ~40%. The plans for future upgrade of the GDT device are discussed. It suggests considerable increase of NB injected power (up to 10MW) and extension of the pulse duration from 1ms to 3-5ms. After the upgrade, a significant increase of the electron temperature to 250-300eV could be obtained. Properties of the plasma with the parameters approaching those in the full-scale neutron source are planned to study in experiments with NB injection into additional cell near the end mirror.