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Division Spotlight
Isotopes & Radiation
Members are devoted to applying nuclear science and engineering technologies involving isotopes, radiation applications, and associated equipment in scientific research, development, and industrial processes. Their interests lie primarily in education, industrial uses, biology, medicine, and health physics. Division committees include Analytical Applications of Isotopes and Radiation, Biology and Medicine, Radiation Applications, Radiation Sources and Detection, and Thermal Power Sources.
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2024 ANS Annual Conference
June 16–19, 2024
Las Vegas, NV|Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino
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!
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Latest News
Securing the advanced reactor fleet
Physical protection accounts for a significant portion of a nuclear power plant’s operational costs. As the U.S. moves toward smaller and safer advanced reactors, similar protection strategies could prove cost prohibitive. For tomorrow’s small modular reactors and microreactors, security costs must remain appropriate to the size of the reactor for economical operation.
Yong-Deok Lee, Naeem M. Abdurrahman, Robert C. Block, Donald R. Harris, Rudy E. Slovacek
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 131 | Number 1 | January 1999 | Pages 45-61
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE97-100
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The neutron slowing-down-time method for nondestructive assay of light water reactor spent fuel has been under development for many years. Results for a newly optimized design of a lead slowing-down-time spectrometer for spent-nuclear-fuel assay are presented. Monte Carlo analyses were performed to optimize the design of the assay device, determine its main parameters, investigate the effects of the spent-fuel assembly and the detector impurities on its performance, determine the fission signatures of the fissile isotopes in spent-fuel elements, and simulate the assay signal as a function of the slowing-down time, assuming threshold fission chambers for the assay detectors. The assay signals from the threshold detectors were analyzed to predict the unknown masses of the fissile isotopes in a typical spent commercial light water reactor fuel element. The broadened resolution of the system caused by the presence of the spent fuel inside the spectrometer pile was found sufficient to separate the signatures of the U and Pu fissiles in spent fuel.