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Conference Spotlight
Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
September 8–11, 2025
Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis
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Deep Space: The new frontier of radiation controls
In commercial nuclear power, there has always been a deliberate tension between the regulator and the utility owner. The regulator fundamentally exists to protect the worker, and the utility, to make a profit. It is a win-win balance.
From the U.S. nuclear industry has emerged a brilliantly successful occupational nuclear safety record—largely the result of an ALARA (as low as reasonably achievable) process that has driven exposure rates down to what only a decade ago would have been considered unthinkable. In the U.S. nuclear industry, the system has accomplished an excellent, nearly seamless process that succeeds to the benefit of both employee and utility owner.
D. Karamanis, M. Petit, S. Andriamonje, G. Barreau, M. Bercion, A. Billebaud, B. Blank, S. Czajkowski, R. Del Moral, J. Giovinazzo, V. Lacoste, C. Marchand, L. Perrot, M. Pravikoff, J. C. Thomas
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 139 | Number 3 | November 2001 | Pages 282-292
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE01-A2238
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The neutron capture cross section of 232Th has been measured relative to (n, ) for 197Au and (n,f) for 235U in the energy range from 60 keV to 2 MeV. Neutrons were produced by the 7Li(p,n) and T(p,n) reactions at the 4-MV Van de Graaff Accelerator of CEN Bordeaux-Gradignan. The activation technique was used, and the cross section was measured relative to the 197Au(n,) standard cross section up to 1 MeV. The characteristic gamma lines of the product nuclei 233Pa and 198Au were measured with a 40% high-purity germanium detector. Above this energy, the reaction 235U(n,f) was also used as a second standard, and the fission fragments were detected with a photovoltaic cell. The results, after applying the appropriate corrections, indicate that the cross sections are close to the JENDL-3 database values up to 800 keV and over 1.4 MeV. For energies in the intermediate range, our values are slightly lower than those from all the libraries.