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 ANS Annual Conference
May 31–June 3, 2026
Denver, CO|Sheraton Denver
Latest Magazine Issues
May 2026
Jan 2026
2026
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
June 2026
Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
NRC proposes changes to its rules on nuclear materials
In response to Executive Order 14300, “Ordering the Reform of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission,” the NRC is proposing sweeping changes to its rules governing the use of nuclear materials that are widely used in industry, medicine, and research. The changes would amend NRC regulations for the licensing of nuclear byproduct material, some source material, and some special nuclear material.
As published in the May 18 Federal Register, the NRC is seeking public comment on this proposed rule and draft interim guidance until July 2.
J. C. Robinson, D. N. Fry
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 42 | Number 3 | December 1970 | Pages 397-405
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE70-A21226
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Small pressure perturbations were introduced into the primary fuel pump bowl of the Molten-Salt Reactor Experiment (MSRE) operating at its nominal power of 8 MW(th). The experimental neutron flux-to-pressure frequency response was then obtained from a cross-power and auto-power spectral density analysis of the resulting signals from a neutron sensitive ionization chamber and a pressure transducer. By comparing the frequency dependence of the experimental frequency response determined for the reactor operating at power with the frequency response determined from analysis of mathematical models, the selection of the more appropriate boundary condition set from a choice of two possible boundary condition sets was possible. Then, the analytical frequency response was fitted by the least-squares method to the experimental frequency response to obtain the void fraction in the molten salt fuel. A void fraction of 0.61 ± 0.04% was determined from the frequency response; this value compares favorably with a value of 0.6 ± 0.1% determined by other techniques. Conclusions from this work are that the analytical model leads to acceptable results for the neutron flux-to-pressure frequency response and that properly designed dynamic tests involving small reactivity perturbations (introduced by means other than rod motion) can be used to extract specific nuclear parameters for a nuclear system operation at power.