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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
2024 ANS Annual Conference
June 16–19, 2024
Las Vegas, NV|Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino
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!
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Latest News
College students help develop waste-measuring device at Hanford
A partnership between Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS) and Washington State University has resulted in the development of a device to measure radioactive and chemical tank waste at the Hanford Site. WRPS is the contractor at Hanford for the Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management.
Susan Hogle, Charles W. Alexander, Jonathan D. Burns, Julie G. Ezold, G. Ivan Maldonado
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 185 | Number 3 | March 2017 | Pages 473-483
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.1080/00295639.2016.1272973
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
This work applies to recent initiatives at the Radiochemical Engineering Development Center at Oak Ridge National Laboratory to optimize the production of transcurium isotopes in the High Flux Isotope Reactor in such a way as to prolong the use of high-quality heavy curium feedstock. By studying the sensitivity of fission and transmutation reaction rates to the neutron flux energy spectrum, a flux filtering methodology is explored for increasing the fraction of (n,γ) reactions per neutron absorption. Filter materials that preferentially absorb neutrons at energies considered detrimental to optimal transcurium production are identified, and transmutation rates are examined with high-energy resolution. Experimental capsules are irradiated employing filter materials, and the resulting fission and activation products are studied to validate the filtering methodology. Improvement is seen in the production efficiency of heavier curium isotopes in 244Cm and 245Cm targets and potentially in the production of 252Cf from mixed californium targets. Further analysis is recommended to evaluate longer-duration irradiations more representative of typical transcurium production.