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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!
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What’s in your Dubai chocolate? Nuclear scientists test pistachios for toxins
For the uninitiated, Dubai chocolate is a candy bar filled with pistachio and tahini cream and crispy pastry recently popularized by social media influencers. While it’s easy to dismiss as a viral craze now past its peak, the nutty green confection has spiked global pistachio demand, and growers and processors are ramping up production. That means more pistachios need to be tested for aflatoxins—a byproduct of a common crop mold.
W. J. McCool, R. A. Robinson, E. W. Schrader, S. H. Weiss
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 9 | Number 1 | January 1961 | Pages 47-54
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE61-A25864
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The cold, clean, steel-reflected, final, SM-2 mock-up containing 36.4 kg U235 and 61 g B10 maintained criticality after a seven rod bank withdrawal of 6.974 in. and has an “excess K” (ΔKE) of 1520 cents. An infinite steel-water laminated reflector is worth approximately +85 cents over the infinite water reflected core. The measured reactivity coefficient, @ 2000 psi, ranges from –1.15 cents/°F @ 150°F to –5.20 cents/°F @ 510°F. The integral reactivity effect of raising the SM-2 core water temperature from 103 to 510°F @ 2000 psi and the water in the reflector coolant graph from 103 to 477°F @ 2000 psi is –889.7 cents. The average measured material coefficients for U235 and B10 are 0.157 cents/g and 42.54 cents/g, respectively. Without the benefit of flux suppressors the maximum to average power ratio of 7.28 occurs at the top of the fuel section of control rod C (withdrawn to 7.14 in.), and a ratio of 5.28 occurs at the bottom of stationary element 43 and symmetric elements.