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
February 2026
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
DTRA’s advancements in nuclear and radiological detection
A new, more complex nuclear age has begun. Echoing the tensions of the Cold War amid rapidly evolving nuclear and radiological threats, preparedness in the modern age is a contest of scientific innovation. The Research and Development Directorate (RD) at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) is charged with winning this contest.
K. L. Sidikman, Richard A. Nebel, James D. Callen
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 15 | Number 1 | January 1989 | Pages 29-36
Technical Paper | Plasma Engineering | doi.org/10.13182/FST89-A25321
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Magnetic perturbations caused by field errors may pose a threat to magnetic confinement. They can cause the formation of magnetic islands, which may increase transport. The response of a reversed-field pinch (RFP) plasma to field errors has been calculated numerically. A three-dimensional nonlinear magnetohydrodynamic code was used, with field errors specified as boundary conditions. Two types of field errors were studied: those arising from current flowing in the toroidal field coil set and those arising from induced currents in the conducting shell flowing around holes. Design data from two RFPs at the Los Alamos National Laboratory — ZT-40 (currently operating) and ZT-H (being designed) — were used. Results on the effect of the plasma on the radial field perturbation and on island size are given. The effects of the chosen equilibrium current profile, resistivity, and viscosity are discussed.