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
Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
September 8–11, 2025
Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis
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!
Latest Magazine Issues
Jul 2025
Jan 2025
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
August 2025
Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
July 2025
Latest News
Vistra’s Perry nuclear plant approved for license renewal
Texas-based Vistra Corporation has announced that its license renewal application for the Perry nuclear power plant was approved by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The plant first connected to the grid in 1986 and is still operating under its original 40-year license, which was set to expire next year.
D. Donovan, D. Buchenauer, J. Whaley, G. Wright, C. M. Parish, X. Hu
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 72 | Number 3 | October 2017 | Pages 337-346
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.1080/15361055.2017.1333856
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A compact electron cyclotron resonance plasma source has been utilized at Sandia National Laboratory to expose heated W samples (1270 K) to 50–75 eV He ions at fluxes on the order of 1019 m−2 s−1 and fluences on the order of 1024 m−2. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis of the surface has indicated bubbles up to 150 nm in diameter that exhibit signs of bursting near the surface. Comparisons have been made between W samples prepared from warm-rolled W sheet stock and ITER-Grade W rod stock. Focused ion beam (FIB) cross sectioning has been used with SEM and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to identify large sub surface bubbles (100 nm diameter) at depths up to one micron as well as a dense layer of smaller bubbles (<10 nm diameter) within the first 100 nm of the surface, similar to bubble layers observed on higher flux experiments. SEM-Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) analysis has identified a unique surface morphology feature associated with the exposed ITER-Grade W as well as features similar to previous EBSD studies of rolled W stock. Thermal desorption spectroscopy (TDS) analysis has identified that pre-existing He bubbles found in the Sandia He-ion exposed samples do alter the D trapping and desorbing behavior in W. The findings from these preliminary characterization studies are presented and discussed in context with results from similar plasma exposure stages at other facilities around the world.