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Division Spotlight
Accelerator Applications
The division was organized to promote the advancement of knowledge of the use of particle accelerator technologies for nuclear and other applications. It focuses on production of neutrons and other particles, utilization of these particles for scientific or industrial purposes, such as the production or destruction of radionuclides significant to energy, medicine, defense or other endeavors, as well as imaging and diagnostics.
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!
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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
L. E. Hansen, E. D. Clayton
Nuclear Technology | Volume 3 | Number 8 | August 1967 | Pages 481-487
Technical Paper and Note | doi.org/10.13182/NT67-A27779
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Experimental criticality data do not exist for most plutonium compounds. To obtain guidelines for nuclear criticality safety use, a survey utilizing transport-theory calculations was made to determine the critical masses of bare and water-reflected spheres as a function of density and H:Pu ratio for 12 of these compounds in the undermoderated range (H:Pu ≤ 20). The compounds considered were: PuH2, PuH3, PuN, PuC, Pu2C3, PuO2, Pu2O3, PuF3, PuF4, PuCl3, Pu(NO3)4, Pu(C2O4)2. Also derived were core density exponents which permit critical masses to be predicted for compounds with densities ranging down to one-fifth of their theoretical values. The validity of the calculations was examined by comparing results with the limited criticality data on homogeneous PuO2 systems in the undermoderated range. Comparisons were also made for Pu metal systems and for three heterogeneous Pu-fueled assemblies.
