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Fusion Energy
This division promotes the development and timely introduction of fusion energy as a sustainable energy source with favorable economic, environmental, and safety attributes. The division cooperates with other organizations on common issues of multidisciplinary fusion science and technology, conducts professional meetings, and disseminates technical information in support of these goals. Members focus on the assessment and resolution of critical developmental issues for practical fusion energy applications.
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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!
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Latest News
Webinar: MC&A and safety in advanced reactors in focus
Towell
Russell
Prasad
The American Nuclear Society’s Nuclear Nonproliferation Policy Division recently hosted a webinar on updating material control and accounting (MC&A) and security regulations for the evolving field of advanced reactors.
Moderator Shikha Prasad (CEO, Srijan LLC) was joined by two presenters, John Russell and Lester Towell, who looked at how regulations that were historically developed for traditional light water reactors will apply to the next generation of nuclear technology and what changes need to be made.
Christopher E. Hamilton, Nickolaus A. Smith, Jon R. Schoonover, Kimberly A. Defriend Obrey, Nicholas Bazin, Tina Jewell
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 63 | Number 2 | March-April 2013 | Pages 301-304
Technical Paper | Selected papers from 20th Target Fabrication Meeting, May 20-24, 2012, Santa Fe, NM, Guest Editor: Robert C. Cook | doi.org/10.13182/FST13-A16354
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Silica aerogel, an extremely low-density and high-surface-area material, is a vital component of many target designs for inertial confinement fusion and high-energy-density physics experiments. Silica aerogel utilized in targets is found in a variety of densities and configurations. Material properties must be well characterized to minimize uncertainties in experimental data. In particular, density must be accurately known to predict shock velocity and timing of diagnostics. One potentially problematic attribute of silica is its hygroscopic nature. Here we describe adsorption of ambient moisture by silica aerogel, based on its density and processing parameters. Quick and simple methods of characterizing water uptake are needed to provide confidence in aerogel components. We find that aerogel manufactured using supercritical methanol is much more stable toward moisture (and therefore more suitable for use in targets) than that produced using supercritical carbon dioxide. Aerogel materials were characterized by thermogravimetric analysis and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.