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
Nuclear Installations Safety
Devoted specifically to the safety of nuclear installations and the health and safety of the public, this division seeks a better understanding of the role of safety in the design, construction and operation of nuclear installation facilities. The division also promotes engineering and scientific technology advancement associated with the safety of such facilities.
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
Apr 2024
Jan 2024
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
May 2024
Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
Zap Energy hits 37-million-degree electron temperatures in compact fusion device
Zap Energy announced April 23 that it has reached 1-3 keV plasma electron temperatures—roughly the equivalent of 11 to 37 million degrees Celsius—using its sheared-flow-stabilized Z-pinch approach to fusion. Reaching temperatures above that of the sun’s core (which is 10 million degrees Celsius temperature) is just one hurdle required before any fusion confinement concept can realistically pursue net gain and fusion energy.
Samuel J. Zenobia, Lauren M. Garrison, Gerald L. Kulcinski
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 60 | Number 1 | July 2011 | Pages 344-348
Materials Development & Plasma-Material Interactions | Proceedings of the Nineteenth Topical Meeting on the Technology of Fusion Energy (TOFE) (Part 1) | doi.org/10.13182/FST11-A12377
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Surface morphology changes of sub-micron tipped tungsten needles (W.N.) and an engineered fine-grain tungsten (FGW) were studied after implantation with He ions at reactor relevant conditions. Surface and subsurface pore formation was observed on all of the samples by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and focused ion beam (FIB) milling. Additionally, helium retention analysis was performed on the FGW and compared to several previously studied W materials.Three samples of FGW were irradiated with 30 keV 3He ions to 3×1017 He+/cm2 at 700 °C, 9×1017 He+/cm2 at 850 °C, and 1×1019 He+/cm2 at 1050 °C. SEM analysis revealed that the threshold for visible pore formation was below ~1018 He+/cm2. The sample irradiated to the highest fluence showed “coral-like” morphology on the surface, and FIB analysis showed that the sub-surface semi-porous layer extended almost one micron below the surface. The percentage of implanted helium retained in the samples ranged from 4.5-40%.Two W.N. were implanted with 100 keV 4He ions to conditions of 3×1018 He+/cm2 at 700 °C and 1.3x1019 He+/cm2 at 1000 °C. Extensive pore formation was observed on both specimens. FIB analysis revealed that a sub-surface semi-porous layer developed after ion implantation that extended ~300 nm in the W.N. implanted to the lower dose, and over 1500 nm in the needle implanted to the higher dose. This second needle also exhibited a drastic morphology change, which appears to be a result of the unraveling of the grains at the tip.