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 ANS Annual Conference
May 31–June 3, 2026
Denver, CO|Sheraton Denver
Latest Magazine Issues
May 2026
Jan 2026
2026
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
June 2026
Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
Nuclear EOs: One year later
This Saturday, May 23, will mark one year since President Trump issued four executive orders (EOs) that sought to implement sweeping changes across the U.S. nuclear industry. From regulatory reform at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to new authorization projects at the Departments of Energy and Defense, the orders sent ripples throughout the industry.
L. E. Hansen, E. D. Clayton
Nuclear Technology | Volume 6 | Number 4 | April 1969 | Pages 381-390
Technical Papers and Note | doi.org/10.13182/NT69-A28348
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Lack of experimental data for nuclear criticality control over operations with plutonium necessitates the use of computed critical parameters for guidance. To provide guidelines for criticality safety use, survey calculations for unreflected and water-reflected spheres, semi-infinite cylinders, and semi-infinite slabs have been made, using calculational techniques confirmed by available experimental data. The Pu(metal)-water mixtures examined cover the entire range of possible moderation ratios and have isotopic 240Pu contents of 20%. Critical experiment data for water-reflected spherical systems containing Pu(NO3)4 solutions with 435g Pu/liter at 4.6 wt% 240Pu were extrapolated by means of calculations to 239Pu(metal)-water mixtures for a direct comparison between calculations and experimentally derived critical parameters. The effect of 240Pu on criticality was examined as a function of both concentration and geometry. The manner in which 240Pu affected the minimum critical mass of Pu(metal)-water systems was also determined.