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
Aug 2026
Jan 2026
2026
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
October 2026
Nuclear Technology
September 2026
Fusion Science and Technology
August 2026
Latest News
A closer look at the initial NLIC selections—Part 2
In January, the Department of Energy announced its new Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus (NLIC) program, inviting states via a request for information to express their interest in hosting a facility supporting work from the front to the back end of the nuclear fuel cycle.
By April, 26 states had expressed interest in hosting such a facility. At the end of July, the DOE signed memorandums of understanding with five states—Idaho, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Utah—to more closely explore the possibilities of state-federal partnerships. These MOUs are not firm commitments from either the federal or state governments. Time will tell which—if any—of the five states develop projects through the program. In the meantime, today, we are taking a close look at what Utah, Idaho, Tennessee can offer in terms of a preexisting nuclear sector that could support new fuel cycle developments.
Valerio Mascolino, Alireza Haghighat
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 198 | Number 3 | March 2024 | Pages 592-627
Research Article | doi.org/10.1080/00295639.2023.2197844
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The available three-dimensional (3-D), time-dependent neutron transport algorithms and codes (deterministic or Monte Carlo) are very computationally intensive and are impractical for the simulation of real-world reactors. Henceforth, commonly approximate forms of the transport equation (e.g., diffusion or SPn) are used with expected loss of accuracy. We have developed a hybrid deterministic and Monte Carlo algorithm that not only preserve a Monte Carlo–level accuracy but can achieve a solution in seconds or minutes. This algorithm has been incorporated into the RAPID code system and tested for a number of benchmark problems. This novel time-dependent algorithm, referred to as tRAPID, utilizes a transient fission matrix methodology and allows for fast and accurate simulation of 3-D time-dependent neutron transport problems. The tRAPID algorithm is used to calculate neutron kinetics parameters (such as and Rossi-) and 3-D time-dependent prompt and delayed fission source distributions for two reference models: the Flattop-Pu critical assembly and the Jožef Stefan Institute TRIGA Mark-II benchmark core. Results are compared to experiments reported in the International Criticality Safety Benchmark Evaluation Project Handbook as well as to a reference Serpent Monte Carlo calculation. The tRAPID results are in excellent agreement with both the experimental data and Serpent predictions, while requiring minimal computing resources.