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
Jul 2026
Jan 2026
2026
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
September 2026
Nuclear Technology
August 2026
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
In transition: Commercializing fusion power
Commercial fusion power is closer than ever. There are now around 30 U.S. fusion companies, several of which claim to be on track to connect to the grid as early as the 2030s.
Tokamak and laser inertial confinement approaches benefit from decades of research at facilities such as the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and ITER, with alternative concepts including stellarator, magnetic mirror, and Z-pinch confinement also making notable progress as private and government funding for fusion increases.
Edward P. Ficaro, David K. Wehe
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 117 | Number 3 | July 1994 | Pages 158-176
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE94-A28531
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The KENO-NR Monte Carlo code was developed to simulate the measurement of R(ω) = G*12(ω)G13(ω)/G11(ω)G23(ω), a ratio of spectral densities measured by the 252Cf source-driven noise analysis (CSDNA) method for determining subcriticality. From a direct comparison of simulated and measured R(ω), cross sections and the physical system model can be benchmarked and then used in standard criticality codes for determining keff for a multiplying system. This procedure eliminates the dependence of the CSDNA method on the point-kinetics model and allows cross-section and geometry models to be validated for noncritical configurations. For a set of uranium cylinders (93.2 wt% 235sU and 17.7-cm outer diameter) of varying height, the simulated and the measured R(ω) values in the low-frequency limit and the prompt neutron decay constant a agreed to within 10%. These results indicate that the approach of validating a simulation of the direct experimental data should lead to improved neutronic parameters for fissile systems.
