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Division Spotlight
Reactor Physics
The division's objectives are to promote the advancement of knowledge and understanding of the fundamental physical phenomena characterizing nuclear reactors and other nuclear systems. The division encourages research and disseminates information through meetings and publications. Areas of technical interest include nuclear data, particle interactions and transport, reactor and nuclear systems analysis, methods, design, validation and operating experience and standards. The Wigner Award heads the awards program.
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
Supreme Court rules against Texas in interim storage case
The Supreme Court voted 6–3 against Texas and a group of landowners today in a case involving the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s licensing of a consolidated interim storage facility for spent nuclear fuel, reversing a decision by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals to grant the state and landowners Fasken Land and Minerals (Fasken) standing to challenge the license.
José M. MartíNez-Val, José M. AragonéS, Emilio míNguez, José M. Perlado, Guillermo Velarde
Nuclear Technology | Volume 90 | Number 3 | June 1990 | Pages 371-388
Technical Paper | RELAP/MOD2 / Nuclear Safety | doi.org/10.13182/NT90-A34401
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The initiating events and propagating mechanisms of the Chernobyl accident are the subject of this analysis. The neutronics and thermohydraulics of RBMK reactors under different regimes are studied. It is found that the reactor response to a loss of pumping power was a reactivity trip that could not be fully overcome by the Doppler effect because of the neutronic importance of hydrogen captures under the conditions before the accident. This very high importance was induced by an incorrect hydraulic regime being established before the accident in order to conduct an electromechanical experiment. This experiment was responsible for the loss of pumping power that triggered the accident.
