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
Jun 2026
Jan 2026
2026
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
July 2026
Nuclear Technology
June 2026
Fusion Science and Technology
May 2026
Latest News
INL reports findings on unusual quantum behavior of plutonium
Scientists at Idaho National Laboratory have discovered that plutonium hexaboride (PuB6) displays a type of unusual quantum property called a topological Kondo insulating state. Materials with this property are neither typical electricity conductors nor regular insulators. Rather, they have exterior surfaces that strongly conduct electricity and interiors that block electricity.
Noriyoshi Nakanishi, Takashi Shikata, Shin Fujita, Toshiso Kosako
Nuclear Technology | Volume 112 | Number 1 | October 1995 | Pages 132-141
Technical Paper | Radiation Protection | doi.org/10.13182/NT95-A15858
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Shielding characteristics of iron, lead, ordinary concrete, heavy concrete, graphite, marble, water, and paraffin were calculated for monoenergetic source neutrons with energies <400MeV. The depth dependence of neutron and secondary photon transmitted dose equivalents at the exit surfaces of shields of varying thickness is exhibited for some monoenergetic source neutrons and for each material. Their shielding characteristics are compared and discussed in terms of the degradation process of neutron energy and the change of neutron spectrum in typical shielding materials. Calculations were carried out by using the one-dimensional discrete ordinates code ANISN-JR and the cross-section library DLC-87/HILO. Systematic knowledge concerning the shielding of neutrons with energies <400 MeV was successfully obtained.