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Division Spotlight
Materials Science & Technology
The objectives of MSTD are: promote the advancement of materials science in Nuclear Science Technology; support the multidisciplines which constitute it; encourage research by providing a forum for the presentation, exchange, and documentation of relevant information; promote the interaction and communication among its members; and recognize and reward its members for significant contributions to the field of materials science in nuclear technology.
Meeting Spotlight
2025 ANS Annual Conference
June 15–18, 2025
Chicago, IL|Chicago Marriott Downtown
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
Smarter waste strategies: Helping deliver on the promise of advanced nuclear
At COP28, held in Dubai in 2023, a clear consensus emerged: Nuclear energy must be a cornerstone of the global clean energy transition. With electricity demand projected to soar as we decarbonize not just power but also industry, transport, and heat, the case for new nuclear is compelling. More than 20 countries committed to tripling global nuclear capacity by 2050. In the United States alone, the Department of Energy forecasts that the country’s current nuclear capacity could more than triple, adding 200 GW of new nuclear to the existing 95 GW by mid-century.
R. A. Lillie, R. T. Santoro, R. G. Alsmiller, Jr.
Nuclear Technology | Volume 52 | Number 2 | February 1981 | Pages 313-318
Technical Note | Analysis | doi.org/10.13182/NT81-A32675
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Monte Carlo methods have been used to calculate neutron die-away times in a large-vehicle portal monitor. These calculations were performed to investigate the adequacy of using neutron die-away time measurements to detect the clandestine movement of shielded nuclear materials. The geometry consisted of a large tunnel lined with 3He proportional counters. The time behavior of the (n,p) capture reaction in these counters was calculated when the tunnel contained a number of different tractor-trailer load configurations. Neutron die-away times obtained from weighted least-squares fits to these data were compared. The change in neutron die-away time due to the replacement of cargo in a fully loaded truck with a spherical shell containing 240 kg of borated polyethylene was calculated to be <3%. This result, together with the overall behavior of neutron die-away time versus mass inside the tunnel, strongly suggests that measurements of this type do not provide a reliable means of detecting shielded nuclear materials in a large vehicle.
