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Division Spotlight
Reactor Physics
The division's objectives are to promote the advancement of knowledge and understanding of the fundamental physical phenomena characterizing nuclear reactors and other nuclear systems. The division encourages research and disseminates information through meetings and publications. Areas of technical interest include nuclear data, particle interactions and transport, reactor and nuclear systems analysis, methods, design, validation and operating experience and standards. The Wigner Award heads the awards program.
Meeting Spotlight
2024 ANS Winter Conference and Expo
November 17–21, 2024
Orlando, FL|Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld
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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Nuclear Science and Engineering
October 2024
Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
PNNL seeks high-energy neutrons from SpaceX launch of Polaris Dawn
When a SpaceX rocket lifted off from Kennedy Space Center on September 10 (see video here), sending a crewed commercial mission into low Earth orbit, an experiment designed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory was onboard. Several high-purity metal samples will orbit Earth and absorb cosmic radiation for five days—including that from the Van Allen radiation belt—to help the lab answer questions about the radiation environment for manned space missions, according to a news release from PNNL.
Huayang Zhang, Bin Zhong, Huayun Shen, Li Cheng, Jinhong Li
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 196 | Number 10 | October 2022 | Pages 1236-1246
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.1080/00295639.2022.2070386
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Pinhole imaging is an important test technique to obtain information on the spatial distribution of the radiation field in the target region and has been widely used in nuclear physics and inertial confinement fusion (ICF). Coded-aperture, able to maintain good resolution as well as enhancing signal strength, has become a more frequently used method than pinhole imaging in experimental studies. Thus, implementing Monte Carlo simulations of coded-aperture imaging will improve coded-aperture design, image reconstruction, and other related works. However, the current international mainstream Monte Carlo transport simulation programs do not possess the ability to directly simulate coded-aperture imaging. This paper develops a relatively complete coded-aperture imaging simulation function on the Neutron Photon Transport System code based on the next-event estimation method. With the application of Monte Carlo simulation techniques, such as variance reduction and rejection sampling, it is capable of simulating coded-aperture accurately, flexibly, and efficiently, including problems of multiple shapes and even irregular geometry. The results are consistent with combined pinhole imaging, and the computational efficiency has been improved significantly.