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.
Division Spotlight
Nuclear Criticality Safety
NCSD provides communication among nuclear criticality safety professionals through the development of standards, the evolution of training methods and materials, the presentation of technical data and procedures, and the creation of specialty publications. In these ways, the division furthers the exchange of technical information on nuclear criticality safety with the ultimate goal of promoting the safe handling of fissionable materials outside reactors.
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!
Latest Magazine Issues
Jun 2025
Jan 2025
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
July 2025
Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
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.
Allen G. Croff
Nuclear Technology | Volume 62 | Number 3 | September 1983 | Pages 335-352
Technical Paper | Analyses | doi.org/10.13182/NT83-1
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
ORIGEN2 is a versatile point-depletion and radioactive-decay computer code for use in simulating nuclear fuel cycles and calculating the nuclide compositions and characteristics of materials contained therein. It represents a revision and update of the original ORIGEN computer code, which was developed at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and distributed worldwide beginning in the early 1970s. Included in ORIGEN2 are provisions for incorporating data generated by more sophisticated reactor physics codes, a free-format input, and a highly flexible and controllable output; with these features, ORIGEN2 has the capability for simulating a wide variety of fuel cycle flow sheets. The decay, cross-section, fission product yield, and photon emission data bases employed by ORIGEN2 have been extensively updated, and the list of reactors that can be simulated includes pressurized water reactors, boiling water reactors, liquid-metal fast breeder reactors, and Canada deuterium uranium reactors. A number of verification activities have been undertaken, including (a) comparison of ORIGEN2 decay heat results with both calculated and experimental values, and (b) comparison of predicted spent fuel compositions with measured values. The agreement between ORIGEN2 and the comparison bases is generally very good. Future work concerning ORIGEN2 will involve continued maintenance and user support along with additional verification studies and limited modifications to enhance its flexibility and usability. ORIGEN2 can be obtained, free of charge, from the ORNL Radiation Shielding Information Center.
