ANS is committed to advancing, fostering, and promoting the development and application of nuclear sciences and technologies to benefit society.
Explore the many uses for nuclear science and its impact on energy, the environment, healthcare, food, and more.
Division Spotlight
Decommissioning & Environmental Sciences
The mission of the Decommissioning and Environmental Sciences (DES) Division is to promote the development and use of those skills and technologies associated with the use of nuclear energy and the optimal management and stewardship of the environment, sustainable development, decommissioning, remediation, reutilization, and long-term surveillance and maintenance of nuclear-related installations, and sites. The target audience for this effort is the membership of the Division, the Society, and the public at large.
Meeting Spotlight
2024 ANS Annual Conference
June 16–19, 2024
Las Vegas, NV|Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino
Standards Program
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!
Latest Magazine Issues
May 2024
Jan 2024
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
June 2024
Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
Securing the advanced reactor fleet
Physical protection accounts for a significant portion of a nuclear power plant’s operational costs. As the U.S. moves toward smaller and safer advanced reactors, similar protection strategies could prove cost prohibitive. For tomorrow’s small modular reactors and microreactors, security costs must remain appropriate to the size of the reactor for economical operation.
Kazunori Takahashi
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 63 | Number 1 | May 2013 | Pages 123-126
doi.org/10.13182/FST13-A16886
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A thrust imparted by a permanent-magnets helicon plasma thruster is directly measured by using a pendulum thrust balance. The source consists of a 6.5-cm-inner diameter glass tube and a magnetic nozzle provided by arrays of permanent magnets. The configuration is designed so as to have maximum field strength of about 100 Gauss near the open end of the source. The flow rate of argon propellant is chosen as 25 sccm and a plasma is produced by 13.56 MHz helicon and/or inductively coupled discharges. The main plasma is guided by the magnetic nozzle and flows out from the source. It is observed that the whole structure of the source attached to the pendulum balance moves only during the plasma production, and its displacement is measured by a laser displacement sensor. The obtained maximum thrust is presently 7.5 mN for 2 kW rf power.