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 ANS Annual Conference
May 31–June 3, 2026
Denver, CO|Sheraton Denver
Latest Magazine Issues
Feb 2026
Jul 2025
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
March 2026
Nuclear Technology
February 2026
Fusion Science and Technology
January 2026
Latest News
Fusion energy: Progress, partnerships, and the path to deployment
Over the past decade, fusion energy has moved decisively from scientific aspiration toward a credible pathway to a new energy technology. Thanks to long-term federal support, we have significantly advanced our fundamental understanding of plasma physics—the behavior of the superheated gases at the heart of fusion devices. This knowledge will enable the creation and control of fusion fuel under conditions required for future power plants. Our progress is exemplified by breakthroughs at the National Ignition Facility and the Joint European Torus.
Hideaki Matsuura, Takahiro Takaki, Yasuyuki Nakao, Kazuhiko Kudo
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 39 | Number 3 | May 2001 | Pages 1167-1173
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/FST01-A169
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The radial profile of the neutron production rate in spherical inertial electrostatic confinement (SIEC) plasmas is numerically investigated for various device parameters, i.e., grid cathode current, grid voltage, etc. The electrostatic potential is obtained by solving the Poisson equation; and using the potential, the fuel-ion velocity distribution function is determined at each radial point. From the space-dependent velocity distribution function, the radial profile of the neutron production rate is evaluated. The influence of the broadness of the electron angular momentum distribution on the radial profile of the neutron production rate is also examined. It is shown that the height of the peak of the neutron production rate and its radial position are strongly influenced by the device parameters and the electron distribution.