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
Aerospace Nuclear Science & Technology
Organized to promote the advancement of knowledge in the use of nuclear science and technologies in the aerospace application. Specialized nuclear-based technologies and applications are needed to advance the state-of-the-art in aerospace design, engineering and operations to explore planetary bodies in our solar system and beyond, plus enhance the safety of air travel, especially high speed air travel. Areas of interest will include but are not limited to the creation of nuclear-based power and propulsion systems, multifunctional materials to protect humans and electronic components from atmospheric, space, and nuclear power system radiation, human factor strategies for the safety and reliable operation of nuclear power and propulsion plants by non-specialized personnel and more.
Meeting Spotlight
2021 ANS Winter Meeting and Technology Expo
November 30–December 3, 2021
Washington, DC|Washington Hilton
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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October 2021
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Fusion Science and Technology
August 2021
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Matthew Denman: On Probabilistic Risk Assessment
Matthew Denman
Probabilistic risk assessment is a systematic methodology for evaluating risks associated with a complex engineered technology such as nuclear energy. PRA risk is defined in terms of possible detrimental outcomes of an activity or action, and as such, risk is characterized by three quantities: what can go wrong, the likelihood of the problem, and the resulting consequences of the problem.
Matthew Denman is principal engineer for reliability engineering at Kairos Power and the chair of the American Nuclear Society and American Society of Mechanical Engineers Joint Committee on Nuclear Risk Management’s Subcommittee of Standards Development. As a college student at the University of Florida, Denman took a course on PRA but didn’t enjoy it, because he did not see its connection to the nuclear power industry. Later, during his Ph.D. study at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, his advisor was Neil Todreas, a well-known thermal hydraulics expert. Todreas was working on a project with George Apostolakis, who would leave MIT to become a commissioner of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The project, “Risk Informing the Design of the Sodium-Cooled Fast Reactor,” was a multi-university effort funded through a Department of Energy Nuclear Energy Research Initiative (NERI) grant. Todreas and Apostolakis were joined in this project by a who’s who of nuclear academia, including Andy Kadak (MIT, ANS past president [1999–2000]), Mike Driscoll (MIT), Mike Golay (MIT), Mike Lineberry (Idaho State University, former ANS treasurer), Rich Denning (Ohio State University), and Tunc Aldemir (Ohio State University).
November 16–19, 2020
Nuclear is good for you
Virtual Meeting|Online
On behalf of the American Nuclear Society, we thank you for joining us this week for the 2020 ANS Winter Meeting!
Even though this year’s Winter Meeting is virtual, we are pleased to bring you a most exciting, informative, provocative, and educational conferences covering every facet of nuclear science and technology.
The theme of this year's meeting is “Nuclear: Good for You.” Our aim is to highlight the myriad ways that nuclear science and technology contributes to improving our environment, health care, and overall human flourishing.
Of course, the central component of any good ANS meeting is lively and engaging scientific and technical exchange, and this year is no exception with 3 plenary sessions, 35+ panel sessions, 100+ technical sessions, and 440+ paper presentations. Two virtually-colocated conferences are also included with your registration: Technology of Fusion Energy (TOFE) 2020 and The Consortium for Advanced Simulation of Light Water Reactors (CASL).
We will be exploring the larger questions of how we as a community communicate the "nutritional value” value of nuclear technology to society at large. With our meeting occurring two weeks after election day, we will also explore the coming debates on energy and climate from all sides of the ideological spectrum.
Finally, we are hosting a special Division Networking night on Monday in addition to our popular Trivia Nights being held on Tuesday and Wednesday. While it will never replace the face-to-face interaction and fellowship of an in-person ANS meeting, perhaps it can tide us over until we see each other again, hopefully in June 2021!
November's Winter Meeting promises to be one like no other. Register today!
Mary Lou Dunzik-GougarANS President
Craig H. PiercyANS Executive Director/CEO
