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
Apr 2026
Jan 2026
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
May 2026
Nuclear Technology
March 2026
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
A year in orbit: ISS deployment tests radiation detectors for future space missions
The predawn darkness on a cool Florida night was shattered by the ignition of nine Merlin engines on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The thrust of the engines shook the ground miles away. From a distance, the rocket appeared to slowly rise above the horizon. For the cargo onboard, the launch was anything but gentle, as the ignition of liquid oxygen generated more than 1.5 million pounds of force. After the rocket had been out of sight for several minutes, the booster dramatically returned to Earth with several sonic booms in a captivating show of engineering designed to make space travel less expensive and more sustainable.
A. R. Larson, I. O. Bohachevsky
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 4 | Number 2 | September 1983 | Pages 1245-1250
Blanket and First Wall Engineering | doi.org/10.13182/FST83-A23028
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Discussed are the advantages of using fusion neutrons for breeding special nuclear materials and tritium. Monte Carlo calculations were used to identify both fissionable and nonfissionable materials that multiply neutrons and increase breeding ratios. Fissionable multipliers also greatly multiply the neutron energy. A generic blanket design that utilizes 238U as a neutron multiplier is decribed and compared to an ideal infinite-medium blanket. Time-dependent calculations show gradual improvement of performance during the lifetime of the blanket. The blanket analyzed here is compatible with a reaction chamber that uses high velocity lithium, held on the wall by centrifugal acceleration, to protect the wall from pellet explosions.