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
Fusion Science and Technology
August 2025
Latest News
Powering the future: How the DOE is fueling nuclear fuel cycle research and development
As global interest in nuclear energy surges, the United States must remain at the forefront of research and development to ensure national energy security, advance nuclear technologies, and promote international cooperation on safety and nonproliferation. A crucial step in achieving this is analyzing how funding and resources are allocated to better understand how to direct future research and development. The Department of Energy has spearheaded this effort by funding hundreds of research projects across the country through the Nuclear Energy University Program (NEUP). This initiative has empowered dozens of universities to collaborate toward a nuclear-friendly future.
W. P. Poenitz, L. R. Fawcett, Jr., D. L. Smith
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 78 | Number 3 | July 1981 | Pages 239-247
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE81-1
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The capture cross section of 238U was measured using the activation technique and 235U(n, f) and 197Au(n, γ) as reference cross sections. Capture events were measured by detection of two prominent gamma-ray transitions in the decay of the 239U daughter nuclide, 239Np, employing a high-resolution Ge(Li) detector. The system was calibrated with the absolutely calibrated alpha-particle emitter, 243Am, which decays to 239Np. Cross-section measurements were carried out at thermal neutron energy and in the neutron energy range from 30 keV to 3 MeV. Emphasis in the higher keV range was on absolute values between 0.14 keV and 1 MeV where the 238U(n, γ) cross section and its ratio to 235U(n, f) are not very sensitive to energy scale uncertainties, and the 238U(n, f) cross section is small. Background from fission products was found to restrict the accuracy of the measured data at energies 1.5 MeV.