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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.
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ANS Student Conference 2025
April 3–5, 2025
Albuquerque, NM|The University of New Mexico
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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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Neutron Vision at Los Alamos: Exploring the Frontiers of Nuclear Materials Science
In materials science, understanding the unseen—how materials behave internally under real-world conditions—has always been key to developing new materials and accelerating innovative technologies to market. Moreover, the tools that allow us to see into this invisible world of materials have often been game-changers. Among these, neutron imaging stands out as a uniquely powerful method for investigating the internal structure and behavior of materials without having to alter or destroy the sample. By harnessing the unique properties of neutrons, researchers can uncover the hidden behavior of materials, providing insights essential for advancing nuclear materials and technologies.
J. A. B. Carvalho, P. F. Frutuoso e Melo, C. M. F. Lapa
Nuclear Technology | Volume 208 | Number 10 | October 2022 | Pages 1562-1576
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2022.2050041
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Although the primary responsibility for safety is assigned to the operator of a nuclear installation, the regulatory body must ensure that the level of safety is adequate. The role of a regulator is to develop safety requirements, to monitor their implementation, and if necessary, to perform enforcement actions. This is done through the implementation of core and supporting functions; therefore, it is very important to monitor their effectiveness in a manner to proactively monitor nuclear safety. This work proposes a method using expert elicitation to develop a set of indicators to determine the effectiveness of the regulatory core functions (strategic indicators) that will compose a Regulatory Management Index (RMI). The supporting areas, which can have a direct impact on the core functions, were also considered as an indicator (cross-cutting indicators), but in contrast to the traditional indicator systems, they were not considered just as another indicator to be aggregated. The method introduces the use of a penalty factor on which a performance of a cross-cutting indicator below an acceptable range is used to penalize the related strategic indicator. Expert opinion is also used to weigh the relative importance between the indicators and to establish performance criteria for them. A case study was implemented to check the method’s feasibility.