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
Aug 2025
Jan 2025
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
September 2025
Nuclear Technology
August 2025
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
No impact from Savannah River radioactive wasps
The news is abuzz with recent news stories about four radioactive wasp nests found at the Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site in South Carolina. The site has been undergoing cleanup operations since the 1990s related to the production of plutonium and tritium for defense purposes during the Cold War. Cleanup activities are expected to continue into the 2060s.
Y. Harima, Y. Sakamoto, S. Tanaka, M. Kawai
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 94 | Number 1 | September 1986 | Pages 24-35
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE86-A17113
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A geometric-progression (G-P) method formula, Br = 1 + (B − 1) · (Kx − 1)/(K − 1), accurately represents the buildup factor data as a function of distance for the following reasons: 1. The value of parameter B corresponds to that of the buildup factor at 1 mfp, which is the integration of a basic spectrum for a specified material and for a specified source energy. 2. The variation of parameter K with penetration represents the photon dose multiplication and the change in the shape of the spectrum. Exposure buildup factors for point isotropic sources in an infinite medium approximated by the G-P fitting parameters are in good agreement with the basic data calculated by the PALLAS code, including that of boron for low energies, and of lead, including the effects of bremsstrahlung and fluorescence. The validity of using the G-P parameters to interpolate the buildup factor in μr and in E is ascertained. Furthermore, the extrapolation to the buildup data for depths above 40 mfp is examined.