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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.
Meeting Spotlight
2025 ANS Annual Conference
June 15–18, 2025
Chicago, IL|Chicago Marriott Downtown
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
Jun 2025
Jan 2025
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
August 2025
Nuclear Technology
July 2025
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
Nuclear fuel cycle reimagined: Powering the next frontiers from nuclear waste
In the fall of 2023, a small Zeno Power team accomplished a major feat: they demonstrated the first strontium-90 heat source in decades—and the first-ever by a commercial company.
Zeno Power worked with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory to fabricate and validate this Z1 heat source design at the lab’s Radiochemical Processing Laboratory. The Z1 demonstration heralded renewed interest in developing radioisotope power system (RPS) technology. In early 2025, the heat source was disassembled, and the Sr-90 was returned to the U.S. Department of Energy for continued use.
2023 CONTE Virtual Meeting Plenary Session Speaker
Mike Sovinsky is currently the Deputy Chief of the Training Branch in the Flight Operations Directorate at NASA Johnson Space Center. His branch oversees the training to prepare astronauts on the missions to the International Space Station (ISS) and the Artemis missions heading back to the moon. They also conduct the high-fidelity simulations to perform the assessments for flight controller certifications to perform their duties in the Mission Control Center (MCC).
Additionally, Mike is the Chair of the International Training Control Board. This board contains members from the Russian, Japanese, European and Canadian Space Agencies that discusses and decides the overall strategic plan to achieve successful training of the astronauts and flight controllers as they train around the world.
Mike has a master and bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from Texas A&M University. He has written a total of one journal article. He lives in League City, Texas with his wife Terra and two children, Ella and Tyler.
Last modified January 24, 2023, 10:36am EST