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Conference Spotlight
Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
September 8–11, 2025
Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis
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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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Fusion Science and Technology
August 2025
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Nuclear Dirigo
On April 22, 1959, Rear Admiral George J. King, superintendent of the Maine Maritime Academy, announced that following the completion of the 1960 training cruise, cadets would begin the study of nuclear engineering. Courses at that time included radiation physics, reactor control and instrumentation, reactor theory and engineering, thermodynamics, shielding, core design, reactor maintenance, and nuclear aspects.
R. Pampin, A. Cubi, N. Taylor, M. Fabbri, P. Martinez-Albertos, P. Sauvan, Y. LeTonqueze
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 80 | Number 8 | November 2024 | Pages 1012-1023
Research Article | doi.org/10.1080/15361055.2023.2278375
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Photoneutrons may be generated in beryllium by energetic gamma rays via the reaction 9Be(γ,n)8Be. In ITER, the beryllium layer of the first wall may be the source of such photoneutrons. During plasma operation, these are of insignificant intensity compared with D-T neutrons from the plasma, but after shutdown, photoneutrons produced by decay gammas from neutron-activated material may be significant enough to impact sensitive electronic components in diagnostic or remote handling equipment that would not otherwise be exposed to neutrons.
Studies have been performed to characterize the expected photoneutron source and to evaluate the fluxes arising in detailed three-dimensional models of the ITER tokamak. The results show photoneutron fluxes approaching 105 n/cm2·s within the vessel and up to 103 n/cm2·s elsewhere within the bioshield 14 days after shutdown. When first-wall panels are being transported to the Hot Cell Facility after irradiation, a photoneutron flux exceeding 104 n/cm2·s within the transfer cask is predicted 21 days after shutdown. The peak values in the surrounding building are between 102 and 103 n/cm2·s at the same time.