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 Annual Conference
May 31–June 3, 2026
Denver, CO|Sheraton Denver
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
Dec 2025
Jul 2025
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
January 2026
Nuclear Technology
December 2025
Fusion Science and Technology
November 2025
Latest News
What’s the most difficult question you’ve been asked as a maintenance instructor?
Blye Widmar
"Where are the prints?!"
This was the final question in an onslaught of verbal feedback, comments, and critiques I received from my students back in 2019. I had two years of instructor experience and was teaching a class that had been meticulously rehearsed in preparation for an accreditation visit. I knew the training material well and transferred that knowledge effectively enough for all the students to pass the class. As we wrapped up, I asked the students how they felt about my first big system-level class, and they did not hold back.
“Why was the exam from memory when we don’t work from memory in the plant?” “Why didn’t we refer to the vendor documents?” “Why didn’t we practice more on the mock-up?” And so on.
Xiaogang Cao, Chenlun Liao, Xiancai Meng, Xiaoliang Zou, Xiaojian Wen, Xu Li, Yahong Xie, Bing Hong, Lizhen Liang, Wei Xu
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 81 | Number 6 | August 2025 | Pages 570-579
Regular Research Article | doi.org/10.1080/15361055.2025.2464446
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A deuterium-deuterium neutron generator device based on the 2.45-GHz electron cyclotron resonance technique has been designed. The device achieves a neutron yield of 5 × 108 n/s supplied by the ion source with a beam current of 5 mA. The device is intended for use in radiation modification, isotope production, prompt gamma neutron activation analysis, and boron neutron capture therapy studies. In this work, we study the effects of stainless steel, glass, and aluminum (Al) chamber linings with boron nitride (BN) and glass front plates on both the ion source–induced beam quality and the neutron source yield. The results show that the combination of an Al chamber liner with a BN front plate liner increases current and neutron yield by three to four times compared to other combinations. Stable Al2O3 films generated on the Al surface in air, as confirmed by X-ray diffraction pattern analysis, have a high secondary electron emission coefficient and low wall recombination coefficient, which contributes to the generation of D+ ions in the chamber. As a result, the ion source current and neutron generator yield are improved.