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Reactor Physics
The division's objectives are to promote the advancement of knowledge and understanding of the fundamental physical phenomena characterizing nuclear reactors and other nuclear systems. The division encourages research and disseminates information through meetings and publications. Areas of technical interest include nuclear data, particle interactions and transport, reactor and nuclear systems analysis, methods, design, validation and operating experience and standards. The Wigner Award heads the awards program.
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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
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
M. Ichimura et al.
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 55 | Number 2 | February 2009 | Pages 59-62
Technical Paper | Seventh International Conference on Open Magnetic Systems for Plasma Confinement | doi.org/10.13182/FST09-A6983
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
In the ion cyclotron range of frequency (ICRF) heating experiments on GAMMA 10, wave-wave and wave-particle interactions are investigated. Low-frequency fluctuations of around 100 kHz with beat frequencies among the AIC modes have been observed. These low-frequency modes are also detected in the signal of electrostatic probes in the central cell and in the signal of end-loss high-energy ion detector. Axial transport (velocity space diffusion) of high-energy ions due to beat waves among the AIC modes is clearly indicated. On the other hand, radial transport of high-energy ions due to the drift-type fluctuations has been observed in the central cell. The excitation of low-frequency magnetic fluctuations of which frequencies, fLF, are less than 1 MHz and satisfy the relation of fLF = fICRF - fAIC, where fICRF is the frequency of the heating ICRF wave and fAIC the frequency of the AIC modes. The parametric decay of the heating ICRF waves to the AIC modes and low-frequency waves will be a possible mechanism.
