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
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.
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
G7 pledges support for nuclear at Italy meeting
The Group of Seven (G7) recommitted its support for nuclear energy in the countries that opt to use it at a Ministerial Meeting on Climate in Italy last month.
In a statement following the April meeting, the group committed to support multilateral efforts to strengthen the resilience of nuclear supply chains, referencing the goal set by 25 countries during last year’s COP28 climate conference in Dubai to triple global nuclear generating capacity by 2050.
Daniel M. Nichols, Michael A. Reichenberger, Andrew D. Maile, Mary R. Holtz, Douglas S. McGregor
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 195 | Number 10 | October 2021 | Pages 1098-1106
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.1080/00295639.2021.1898922
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The Micro-Pocket Fission Detector (MPFD) is a small-form-factor real-time fission chamber. MPFD performance has been simulated in the Advanced Test Reactor Critical Facility located at Idaho National Laboratory. The neutron and gamma-ray flux profiles and magnitudes were simulated using MCNP in the near-core B-8 irradiation position. These simulations were performed at 69 discrete axial locations inside the B-8 position 55 for three separate orientations of the nearby hafnium outer shim control cylinders and at a power level of 700 W(thermal). The resulting neutron and gamma-ray flux values were used to determine the MPFD response for various fissile masses and detector gas pressures. The optimal gas-operating pressure was determined to be between 30 and 60 psig. The required fissile layer mass was determined to be between 0.5 to 1.0 µg of 235U. Additionally, the gamma ray to fission fragment interaction rate was determined to be 1.43 × 103 with average energy deposition for gamma rays and fission fragments in 30 psig argon gas to be 1 keV and 3.5 MeV, respectively.