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 Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
August 24–27, 2026
Dallas, TX|Hilton Anatole
Latest Magazine Issues
Jun 2026
Jan 2026
2026
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
July 2026
Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
May 2026
Latest News
Breaking ground on a new approach to construction
The drive to Kairos Power’s reactor demonstration site in Oak Ridge, Tenn., is not only scenic—it’s historic. Nearly 85 years ago, roughly 30,000 construction workers transformed orchards and farmland into a key Manhattan Project site. Depending on your route, you may pass by one of the three gatehouses that were once military checkpoints controlling access to Atomic Energy Commission production facilities.
Gene L. Woodruff, David C. Quimby
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 62 | Number 1 | January 1977 | Pages 45-54
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE77-A26938
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A simplified but approximate method for the calculation of nuclear heating is described. Results using this method are compared with those of more rigorous calculations. The computational effort required is significantly reduced, and an accuracy generally better than ±20% can be achieved provided reasonable estimates of gamma-ray production are used. It would appear that the gamma-ray absorption coefficients used here are too low as a result of assuming average gamma-ray energies that are too high. As experience is gained with use of the method, greater accuracy should result from improved assumptions regarding both gamma-ray production and average gamma-ray energies.