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Conference Spotlight
Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
September 8–11, 2025
Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis
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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.
T. A. Eastwood, R. D. Werner
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 13 | Number 4 | August 1962 | Pages 385-390
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE62-A26181
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
An experimental study of neutron self-shielding in cobalt foils and wires has been made by an activation technique. Cobalt foils ranging in thickness from 0.0004 to 0.004 in. and 0.005 in. thick Co-Al alloy reference foils containing 1% Co were irradiated under cadmium in the NRX reactor. The Co60 specific activity in the pure foils was compared with that in the reference foils to give the gross self-shielding factors. Experimental resonance self-shielding factors were obtained by separating the 1/v part from the gross self-shielding factors, and agreement with calculated resonance self-shielding factors for foils was observed. Self-shielding factors for wire ranging in diameter from 0.001 to 0.025 in. and for 0.050 in. diam 1 % Co-Al alloy wire were also measured since they are of practical importance and have not been calculated. Measurements of self-shielding factors for thermal neutrons were made for cobalt wires and these agree with theory.