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.
Explore membership for yourself or for your organization.
Conference Spotlight
2026 Annual Conference
May 31–June 3, 2026
Denver, CO|Sheraton Denver
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
Dec 2025
Jul 2025
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
December 2025
Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
November 2025
Latest News
Modernizing I&C for operations and maintenance, one phase at a time
The two reactors at Dominion Energy’s Surry plant are among the oldest in the U.S. nuclear fleet. Yet when the plant celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2023, staff could raise a toast to the future. Surry was one of the first plants to file a subsequent license renewal (SLR) application, and in May 2021, it became official: the plant was licensed to operate for a full 80 years, extending its reactors’ lifespans into 2052 and 2053.
J. F. Hund, J. McElfresh, C. A. Frederick, A. Nikroo, A. L. Greenwood, W. Luo
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 51 | Number 4 | May 2007 | Pages 701-704
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/FST07-A1467
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Aluminum oxide aerogel can be used as a backlighter target to provide a radiation source for diagnostics during ICF experiments. To demonstrate the feasibility of this type of target, it was necessary to cast thin pieces of aerogel for plasma emission studies of aluminum oxide. We were able to demonstrate density control over a range of 50-400 mg/cc, and, furthermore, cast the aerogel as a thin (0.6-0.7 mm), smooth monolith that did not require additional machining. The fabrication of these targets begins with a solution of aluminum chloride, ethanol, and water and is then catalyzed with propylene oxide to gel within molds to form the shape. Supercritical drying with carbon dioxide provides the dry aerogel. Various target densities were made by adjusting the relative amounts of starting materials and post treatment condition. The finished materials were characterized for density, pore size, and water content. Initial freestanding targets of 98 mg/cc have been fabricated and shot, and other similar targets of densities from 50-400 mg/cc have been fabricated for future experiments.