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Isotopes & Radiation
Members are devoted to applying nuclear science and engineering technologies involving isotopes, radiation applications, and associated equipment in scientific research, development, and industrial processes. Their interests lie primarily in education, industrial uses, biology, medicine, and health physics. Division committees include Analytical Applications of Isotopes and Radiation, Biology and Medicine, Radiation Applications, Radiation Sources and Detection, and Thermal Power Sources.
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September 8–11, 2025
Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis
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Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
Take steps on SNF and HLW disposal
Matt Bowen
With a new administration and Congress, it is time once again to ponder what will happen—if anything—on U.S. spent nuclear fuel and high-level waste management policy over the next few years. One element of the forthcoming discussion seems clear: The executive and legislative branches are eager to talk about recycling commercial SNF. Whatever the merits of doing so, it does not obviate the need for one or more facilities for disposal of remaining long-lived radionuclides. For that reason, making progress on U.S. disposal capabilities remains urgent, lest the associated radionuclide inventories simply be left for future generations to deal with.
In March, Rick Perry, who was secretary of energy during President Trump’s first administration, observed that during his tenure at the Department of Energy it became clear to him that any plan to move SNF “required some practical consent of the receiving state and local community.”1
Yukio Oyama, Chikara Konno, Yujiro Ikeda, Seiya Yamaguchi, Koichi Tsuda, Kazuaki Kosako, Hiroshi Maekawa, Masayuki Nakagawa, Takamasa Mori, Tomoo Nakamura, Mohamed A. Abdou, Edgar F. Bennett, Anil Kumar, Mahmoud Z. Youssef, Karl G. Porges
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 28 | Number 1 | August 1995 | Pages 216-235
Technical Paper | Fusion Neutronics Integral Experiments — Part I / Blanket Engineering | doi.org/10.13182/FST95-A30406
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Neutronics experiments for two types of heterogeneous blankets are performed in the Phase-IIC experiments of the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute/U.S. Department of Energy collaborative program on fusion blanket neutronics. The experimental system uses the same geometry as the previous Phase-IIA series, which was a closed geometry that used a neutron source enclosure of lithium carbonate. The heterogeneities selected for testing are the beryllium edge-on and the water coolant channel assemblies that appear in typical blankets. In the former, the beryllium and the lithium-oxide (Li2O) layers are piled up alternately in the front part of the test blanket. In the latter, the two simulated water cooling channels are emplaced vertically in the Li2O blanket. These channels produce a steep gradient of neutron flux and a significant spectrum change around the material boundary. The calculation accuracy and measurement method for these transient regions are key areas of interest in the experiments. The measurements are performed for the tritium production rate and the other nuclear parameters as well as the previous experiments. The void effect is found to not be negligible around the heterogeneous region for the detector with a low-energy response. At the same time, enhancements of tritium production are seen near the beryllium and hydrogenous material. However, the current Monte Carlo calculation shows good agreement with the experiment even in such a boundary.