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Meeting Spotlight
Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
September 8–11, 2025
Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis
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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Jun 2025
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Nuclear Science and Engineering
August 2025
Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
July 2025
Latest News
The U.S. Million Person Study of Low-Dose-Rate Health Effects
There is a critical knowledge gap regarding the health consequences of exposure to radiation received gradually over time. While there is a plethora of studies on the risks of adverse outcomes from both acute and high-dose exposures, including the landmark study of atomic bomb survivors, these are not characteristic of the chronic exposure to low-dose radiation encountered in occupational and public settings. In addition, smaller cohorts have limited numbers leading to reduced statistical power.
Hicham Satti, Otman El Hajjaji, Tarek El Bardouni, Mohamed Mira, Abdelhamid Nouayti
Nuclear Technology | Volume 211 | Number 6 | June 2025 | Pages 1229-1245
Research Article | doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2024.2385795
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
OpenNode, a new open-source Fortran code, enables the simulation of fixed-source reactors. Powered by the nodal expansion method (NEM) and seamless Python integration, OpenNode competes with existing nuclear reactor simulation tools. The fixed-source problem plays a crucial role in radioprotection, providing flux calculations and detailed insights into heating effects and dose rates. Users can define and configure reactor models via a JSON input file, specifying critical parameters like geometry, materials, cross-section data, boundary conditions, and fixed sources.
OpenNode further empowers users with a Python interface for preprocessing and postprocessing, streamlining result analysis. Distinguishing itself from conventional NEM codes, OpenNode supports three-dimensional (3D) Cartesian geometries, facilitating intricate reactor design simulations. Customization options, including mesh sizes, polynomial orders, and calculation modes, enhance precision and efficiency.
In our comprehensive study, we verified OpenNode’s fixed-source mode using the 3D-IAEA reactor, comparing it with the SANM code KOMODO. The results underscore OpenNode’s exceptional accuracy in computing critical parameters, like the effective multiplication factor, power distribution, and nodal flux, within fixed-source reactors. OpenNode stands as a reliable, user-friendly tool poised to advance nuclear reactor simulations.
