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.
Division Spotlight
Young Members Group
The Young Members Group works to encourage and enable all young professional members to be actively involved in the efforts and endeavors of the Society at all levels (Professional Divisions, ANS Governance, Local Sections, etc.) as they transition from the role of a student to the role of a professional. It sponsors non-technical workshops and meetings that provide professional development and networking opportunities for young professionals, collaborates with other Divisions and Groups in developing technical and non-technical content for topical and national meetings, encourages its members to participate in the activities of the Groups and Divisions that are closely related to their professional interests as well as in their local sections, introduces young members to the rules and governance structure of the Society, and nominates young professionals for awards and leadership opportunities available to members.
Meeting 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!
Latest Magazine Issues
Jun 2025
Jan 2025
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
August 2025
Nuclear Technology
July 2025
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
Take steps on SNF and HLW disposal
Matt Bowen
With a new administration and Congress, it is time once again to ponder what will happen—if anything—on U.S. spent nuclear fuel and high-level waste management policy over the next few years. One element of the forthcoming discussion seems clear: The executive and legislative branches are eager to talk about recycling commercial SNF. Whatever the merits of doing so, it does not obviate the need for one or more facilities for disposal of remaining long-lived radionuclides. For that reason, making progress on U.S. disposal capabilities remains urgent, lest the associated radionuclide inventories simply be left for future generations to deal with.
In March, Rick Perry, who was secretary of energy during President Trump’s first administration, observed that during his tenure at the Department of Energy it became clear to him that any plan to move SNF “required some practical consent of the receiving state and local community.”1
Emily M. Flora, Michael L. Zerkle
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 178 | Number 4 | December 2014 | Pages 539-549
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE14-31
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The Epithermal Test Assembly (ETA) experiments were performed to test the adequacy of 233U, 235U, and 232Th cross sections in epithermal spectra in support of the Light Water Breeder Reactor (LWBR) Program. The ETA design contained a central heavy water–moderated test region surrounded by a light water–moderated annular driver region. Two series of experiments were performed: ETA-I with 235UO2-ThO2 fuel rods in the test region and ETA-II with 233UO2-ThO2 fuel rods in the test region. The dominant uncertainties in the critical configurations include the test-rod pitch pitch for ETA-I; the test-region fuel-rod fuel density and 233U to (233U + Th) weight ratio for ETA-II; and the driver-region fuel-rod outer diameter, uranium enrichment, and pitch for both ETA experiments. Benchmark model results using MCNP5 are provided for ENDF/B-V, ENDF/B-VI, ENDF/B-VII.0, and ENDF/B-VII.1 cross sections with only the ENDF/B-VII.0 results falling within three standard deviations of the benchmark model keff. The ETA-I and ETA-II benchmark evaluations have been included in the International Handbook of Evaluated Criticality Safety Benchmark Experiments and are replicated in the International Handbook of Evaluated Reactor Physics Benchmark Experiments.