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
Robotics & Remote Systems
The Mission of the Robotics and Remote Systems Division is to promote the development and application of immersive simulation, robotics, and remote systems for hazardous environments for the purpose of reducing hazardous exposure to individuals, reducing environmental hazards and reducing the cost of performing work.
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.
Norman P. Baumann, Willard G. Winn
Nuclear Technology | Volume 72 | Number 3 | March 1986 | Pages 353-358
Technical Paper | Radiation Protection and Health Physics Practices and Experience in Operating Reactors Internationally / Analyse | doi.org/10.13182/NT86-A33774
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A long-lived gamma source, containing 370 MBq of 232U (72 yr) and 110 MBq of 228Th (1.9 yr), was developed as a permanent replacement for neutron-activated 24Na (15-h) sources that have been used in a 2D(γ,n)1H tritiated water detector. The 228Th, which will build up to 340 MBq in 10 yr and then decay in equilibrium with 232U, emits copious 2614-keV gamma rays for the (γ, n) process. Competing (α, n) backgrounds are reduced by placing the uranium/thorium source in a gold matrix to provide threshold and coulomb barriers against the reaction. The detection limits (∼0.0l-ml D2O) for typical stainless steel pipes (∼2-cm diam) measured with the uranium/thorium source are almost as low as those for comparable 24Na sources, which do not produce (α,n) backgrounds. This minor sensitivity loss can be offset by longer counting times, if necessary. Lower personnel exposure is realized with the new source. Overall, the practical advantages of using a longer lived source strongly favor the use of 232U/228Th instead of 24Na.
