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Division Spotlight
Accelerator Applications
The division was organized to promote the advancement of knowledge of the use of particle accelerator technologies for nuclear and other applications. It focuses on production of neutrons and other particles, utilization of these particles for scientific or industrial purposes, such as the production or destruction of radionuclides significant to energy, medicine, defense or other endeavors, as well as imaging and diagnostics.
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2020 Winter Meeting and Nuclear Technology Expo
November 15–19, 2020
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
NEA issues call to action in report on nuclear cost reductions
A new report from the Paris-based OECD Nuclear Energy Agency declares that nuclear power is needed for countries to meet their Paris Agreement decarbonization and energy security policy goals, but that governmental support for a rapid reduction in the cost of new nuclear capacity through the creation of certain policy frameworks is likely necessary.
Hesham Khater, Sandra Brereton
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 68 | Number 3 | October 2015 | Pages 492-496
Technical Paper | Proceedings of TOFE-2014 | dx.doi.org/10.13182/FST15-111
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
During the ignition experimental campaign, the National Ignition Facility (NIF) is expected to perform shots with varying fusion yield (up to 20 MJ or 7.1 x 1018 neutrons per shot) and a maximum annual yield of 1200 MJ. A detailed MCNP model of the Target Bay (TB) and the two switchyards (SY) has been developed to estimate the post-shot radiation environment inside the facility. During D-T shots, a pulse of 14.1 MeV neutrons streaming outside the Target Chamber (TC) will activate the air present inside the TB and the argon gas inside the laser tubes. Smaller levels of activity are also generated in the SY air and in the argon portion of the SY laser beam path. The activated TB air will be mixed with fresh air from the Operations Support Building (OSB) before release through the stack. Flow of activated air from the Target Bay is controlled by the heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system. 16N (T1/2 = 7.13 s) dominates the radiation levels during the first minute following the shot. It is expected that 16N will decay away during the confinement time before releasing the TB air through the stack. The other major contributors are 13N (T1/2 = 9.97 min) and 41Ar (T1/2 = 1.83 h). In general a low dose rate of < 1 μSv/h is expected near the stack during the first few hours following a 20 MJ shot. The amount of activated Target Bay air released through the stack is very small and does not pose significant hazard to personnel or the environment. In the mean time, due to a very small leakage rate out of the laser tubes, the activated argon gas decays within the tubes and any resulting release to the environment is insignificant.
