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Accelerator Applications
The division was organized to promote the advancement of knowledge of the use of particle accelerator technologies for nuclear and other applications. It focuses on production of neutrons and other particles, utilization of these particles for scientific or industrial purposes, such as the production or destruction of radionuclides significant to energy, medicine, defense or other endeavors, as well as imaging and diagnostics.
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2025 ANS Annual Conference
June 15–18, 2025
Chicago, IL|Chicago Marriott Downtown
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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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High-temperature plumbing and advanced reactors
The use of nuclear fission power and its role in impacting climate change is hotly debated. Fission advocates argue that short-term solutions would involve the rapid deployment of Gen III+ nuclear reactors, like Vogtle-3 and -4, while long-term climate change impact would rely on the creation and implementation of Gen IV reactors, “inherently safe” reactors that use passive laws of physics and chemistry rather than active controls such as valves and pumps to operate safely. While Gen IV reactors vary in many ways, one thing unites nearly all of them: the use of exotic, high-temperature coolants. These fluids, like molten salts and liquid metals, can enable reactor engineers to design much safer nuclear reactors—ultimately because the boiling point of each fluid is extremely high. Fluids that remain liquid over large temperature ranges can provide good heat transfer through many demanding conditions, all with minimal pressurization. Although the most apparent use for these fluids is advanced fission power, they have the potential to be applied to other power generation sources such as fusion, thermal storage, solar, or high-temperature process heat.1–3
Victor V. Verbinski, Norman A. Lurie, Vern C. Rogers
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 65 | Number 2 | February 1978 | Pages 316-330
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE78-A27160
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The accuracy of unfolding neutron spectra with threshold activation foils was investigated by comparing the unfolded spectra with “known” spectra obtained from calculations verified with more accurate spectrometry techniques. Because of the lack of spectral data below 1 MeV (only one useful activation threshold exists between 0.01 and 1 MeV), reliable results are generally obtained only with the a priori constraint of a physically complete trial spectrum. A family of trial spectra useful for reactor spectra [and any nuclear “evaporation” spectra, such as from high-energy (γ, n) reactions] has been formulated. The sensitivity of the solution to the specific unfolding code used, to the threshold-foil cross sections and related nuclear data, and to foil-activation measurement accuracy was also investigated.
