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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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International Conference on Mathematics and Computational Methods Applied to Nuclear Science and Engineering (M&C 2025)
April 27–30, 2025
Denver, CO|The Westin Denver Downtown
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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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Argonne’s METL gears up to test more sodium fast reactor components
Argonne National Laboratory has successfully swapped out an aging cold trap in the sodium test loop called METL (Mechanisms Engineering Test Loop), the Department of Energy announced April 23. The upgrade is the first of its kind in the United States in more than 30 years, according to the DOE, and will help test components and operations for the sodium-cooled fast reactors being developed now.
R. Gwin, E. G. Silver, R. W. Ingle, H. Weaver
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 59 | Number 2 | February 1976 | Pages 79-105
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE76-A15682
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The neutron absorption and fission cross sections for 239Pu and 235U have been measured over the neutron energy range from 0.02 eV to 200 keV. In addition, the neutron capture cross section for 197Au was measured from 10 to 50 keV and the fission cross section of 233U was measured from 0.1 to 100 keV. Normalization of the 239Pu and 235U data was made over the energy region from 0.02 to 0.4 eV to the ENDF/B-III neutron cross sections for these isotopes, Mat 1159 and 1157, respectively. The capture cross section for 197Au was normalized using the saturated resonance method for the 4.9-eV resonance. For 233U fission, the normalization was made using the results of Weston et al. The neutron flux was measured using the 10B(n,α) reaction; the energy variation used for this reaction was that given in ENDF/B-III. The pulsed-neutron beam for these measurements was generated using the Oak Ridge Electron Linear Accelerator. A large liquid scintillator about 40 m from the neutron source was used to detect the prompt gamma-ray cascades resulting from neutron absorption in the sample. The time interval between the burst of neutrons and the detection of the absorption event was used to establish the neutron energy scale. The sample of the fissile isotopes was contained in multiplate (pulse) ionization chambers and those neutron absorption events detected in coincidence with a pulse from the ionization chamber were defined as fission events. In general for 239Pu and 235U, these experiments indicated lower neutron fission cross sections than contained in ENDF/B-III for energies above 10 keV. The measured values of the ratio α, neutron capture-to-neutron fission, for 239Pu agree within errors with those derived from ENDF/B-III, Mat 1159. For the present measurements, the uncertainty on α for 239Pu is ∼11% at 10 keV and increases to ∼30% at 100 keV. The experimental results for the neutron capture cross section for 197Au are ∼15% lower than the ENDF/B-III values. The measurements of the ratio of the neutron fission cross section for 233U to that for 235U are generally higher than the ENDF/B-III values by ∼5%.