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 Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
August 24–27, 2026
Dallas, TX|Hilton Anatole
Latest Magazine Issues
Jun 2026
Jan 2026
2026
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
July 2026
Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
May 2026
Latest News
Breaking ground on a new approach to construction
The drive to Kairos Power’s reactor demonstration site in Oak Ridge, Tenn., is not only scenic—it’s historic. Nearly 85 years ago, roughly 30,000 construction workers transformed orchards and farmland into a key Manhattan Project site. Depending on your route, you may pass by one of the three gatehouses that were once military checkpoints controlling access to Atomic Energy Commission production facilities.
Joseph M. Doster, Brit E. Hey
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 93 | Number 1 | May 1986 | Pages 1-12
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE83-A17412
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
In pool-type research reactors, a sudden loss of all pool water can result in significant external radiation dose. Of concern are fission product decay gamma rays emitted within the core, streaming out of the biological shield producing unacceptable radiation exposure in and around the reactor building. A Monte Carlo model was developed and used to generate dose maps for key access and traffic areas throughout the reactor facility at North Carolina State University. It was found that several of these areas could be exposed to significant gamma radiation fields, ranging from 230 rem/h 20 ft directly over and in line of sight of the core to 4 mrem/h outside and adjacent to the reactor building. Expected dose rates were also computed for the reactor bay floor, control room, and offices. The model was benchmarked against dose rates measured at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory pool-type reactor.