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Division Spotlight
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
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!
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Latest News
WIPP improves utility shaft safety, begins infrastructure project
Harrison Western Shaft Sinkers (HWSS), the company drilling a new utility shaft at the Department of Energy’s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico, has retained a safety culture expert following a near-miss accident in the shaft late last year. The safety expert will conduct monthly facilitated discussions with crews working on the shaft to reinforce expectations for identifying concerns regarding unsafe circumstances, according to a recent report by the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB).
Ryota Katano
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 193 | Number 4 | April 2019 | Pages 431-439
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.1080/00295639.2018.1528803
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The linear combination method is proposed to reduce the higher order mode (HOM) effect on the measurement of the prompt neutron decay constant using the α-fitting method. Conventional α-fitting utilizes the pulsed neutron source and estimates the prompt neutron decay constant by fitting the neutron counts at a single detector after pulse injection with a single exponential function. The proposed method reduces the spatial HOM effect with linear combination of the neutron counts at multiple detectors. For verification, we applied the conventional method and the proposed method to the analytical solution of the diffusion theory and the Monte Carlo simulation to estimate the prompt neutron decay constant of a one-dimensional infinite slab. Comparison of these results indicates that the proposed method enables estimation with the reduced HOM effect as opposed to the conventional method. Through the verification, we confirmed that the proposed method can be a candidate for a measurement method of the prompt neutron decay constant.