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
Apr 2026
Jan 2026
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
May 2026
Nuclear Technology
March 2026
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
Fusion research tackles fuel and instrumentation challenges
Three research groups are reporting fusion-related developments, including ongoing work toward spin-polarized fusion, a new plasma diagnostic tool heading to the National Ignition Facility, and a materials science project that could impact the design of inertial confinement fusion fuel targets.
Fergus G. F. Gibb, Karl P. Travis, Neil A. McTaggart, David Burley, Kevin W. Hesketh
Nuclear Technology | Volume 163 | Number 1 | July 2008 | Pages 62-73
Technical Paper | High-Level Radioactive Waste Management | doi.org/10.13182/NT08-A3970
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Disposal in 4- to 5-km-deep boreholes offers a safe, secure, environmentally sound, and potentially economic solution for high-level radioactive wastes, including spent fuel and fissile materials. Three versions of such disposals are under investigation: two variants of low-temperature disposal for low-heat-generating wastes and a high-temperature one for wastes generating sufficient heat to partly melt the host rock. A numerical model for the conductive transfer of heat is used to calculate the spatial and temporal distribution of temperature in and around these disposals. Sample solutions are given for two cases of each of the disposal versions, and the outcomes are discussed in the context of their significance for the safety and viability of the disposal. It is concluded that one or other of the three versions of deep borehole disposal could accommodate almost any type of high-level waste.