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.
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.
Meeting Spotlight
2025 ANS Annual Conference
June 15–18, 2025
Chicago, IL|Chicago Marriott Downtown
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
May 2025
Jan 2025
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
July 2025
Nuclear Technology
June 2025
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
BREAKING NEWS: Trump issues executive orders to overhaul nuclear industry
The Trump administration issued four executive orders today aimed at boosting domestic nuclear deployment ahead of significant growth in projected energy demand in the coming decades.
During a live signing in the Oval Office, President Donald Trump called nuclear “a hot industry,” adding, “It’s a brilliant industry. [But] you’ve got to do it right. It’s become very safe and environmental.”
J. T. Mihalczo, E. D. Blakeman, G. E. Ragan, E. B. Johnson, Y. Hachiya
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 104 | Number 4 | April 1990 | Pages 314-338
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE90-A23732
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Dynamic measurements of the subcritical neutron multiplication factor keff using the 252Cf-source-driven neutron noise analysis method were performed for an unreflected 25.1-cm-i.d. cylindrical tank containing aqueous uranyl nitrate as the solution height was changed at rates of 1 to 23 cm/min, with corresponding changes in keff from 4 × 10-4 to 0.01/s. These experiments, which were the first test of the method to measure keff while it is changing, showed the following:, This method has the capability to measure subcriticality for a multiplying system to a keff as low as 0.30. Experimental keff values can be obtained from the ratio of spectral densities with as little as 6 s of data accumulation and a small fraction of a second analysis time while the solution tank is drained from a height of 29.5 to 6.5 cm in ∼60 s, with corresponding changes in kefffrom 0.95 to 0.30. The measured keff values obtained do not depend on the speed at which the solution height is changed or whether it is filling or draining. The results of the dynamic measurements agreed with the static measurements. Where static measurements were practical (limited to keff down to ∼0.5 by detection efficiency) with 3He proportional counters sensitive to leakage neutrons only, the results agreed with those from measurements with scintillation detectors sensitive to gamma rays and neutrons escaping from the system. As in previous experiments, the ratios of spectral densities at low frequency were used successfully to obtain keff values using a modified point kinetics interpretation of the data. The neutron multiplication factors from independent measurements using the break frequency noise analysis method agree with the values of keff from the measured ratios of spectral densities down to keff values of 0.65. The effectiveness of this method for systems where conditions are changing probably exceeds the dynamic requirements of most nuclear fuel plant processing applications. Calculated keff values using the KENO Monte Carlo code and Hansen-Roach cross sections compare well with the experimental values.
