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
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
Conference on Nuclear Training and Education: A Biennial International Forum (CONTE 2023)
February 6–9, 2023
Amelia Island, FL|Omni Amelia Island Resort
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
Feb 2023
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Nuclear Science and Engineering
February 2023
Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
University of Florida-led consortium to research nuclear forensics
A 16-university team of 31 scientists and engineers, under the title Consortium for Nuclear Forensics and led by the University of Florida, has been selected by the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) to develop the next generation of new technologies and insights in nuclear forensics.
Jesson Hutchinson, Jennifer Alwin, Alexander McSpaden, William Myers, Michael Rising, Rene Sanchez
Nuclear Technology | Volume 207 | Number 1 | December 2021 | Pages S62-S80
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2021.1908076
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Criticality experiments with 235U (metal and hydride) and 239Pu (metal) were performed during the Manhattan Project. Results from these experiments provided necessary information for the success of the Manhattan Project [LA-1033 to LA-1036 (1947), LA-02532-MS V I (1961), and Critical Assembly: A Technical History of Los Alamos During the Oppenheimer Years, 1943–1945 (1993)]. These experiments have been previously described in compilations made after the Manhattan Project, but those works are either lacking in technical details or are not publicly available. This work aims to provide detailed information while showcasing the enduring impact of these experiments 75 years after they were performed. Furthermore, we use modern computational methods embodied in the MCNP6® code and ENDF data to analyze and interpret these historic measurements. The world’s first four criticality accidents are also discussed, as lessons learned from these helped shape the field of criticality experiments.