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 Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
August 24–27, 2026
Dallas, TX|Hilton Anatole
Latest Magazine Issues
Jul 2026
Jan 2026
2026
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
September 2026
Nuclear Technology
August 2026
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
The human factor in licensing and operating the next generation of nuclear plants
As human factors specialists working at the intersection of human performance and nuclear operations, we are witnessing one of the nuclear sector’s most significant transitions in decades. The emergence of small modular reactors, microreactors, and other advanced designs is reshaping the industry’s landscape. Digital instrumentation and controls, passive safety systems, and increased automation are creating opportunities for greater safety margins and more flexible operation. These same features also fundamentally redefine what it means to “operate” a nuclear plant. Interactions among human roles, automation, and passive systems shape how people maintain awareness, exercise judgment, and intervene when necessary. These developments affect both operational realities and the regulatory foundations on which nuclear safety is built.
Yukio Sakamoto, Yosuke Iwamoto, Hiroshi Nakashima
Nuclear Technology | Volume 168 | Number 3 | December 2009 | Pages 654-658
Accelerators | Special Issue on the 11th International Conference on Radiation Shielding and the 15th Topical Meeting of the Radiation Protection and Shielding Division (PART 3) / Rotation Protection | doi.org/10.13182/NT09-A9284
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Three accelerator experiments on source term and radiation shielding performed by the staffs of Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) to validate the accuracy of the radiation behavior simulation code PHITS (Particle and Heavy Ion Transport code System) are reviewed. In the measurement of neutron spectra from a thin beryllium target bombarded with [approximately]10-MeV protons, measured peak energies and values of the cross section were the same as those in the Evaluated Nuclear Data File ENDF/B-VII. In the measurements of forward-direction neutron spectra from thick targets bombarded with 140-, 250-, and 350-MeV protons, the calculated spectra from an iron target by the PHITS code agreed well with the measured spectra. In the measurement of neutron spectra from a tungsten target bombarded with [approximately]400-MeV protons, the shape of neutron spectra and its intensity are compared with that in Los Alamos Neutron Science Center/Weapons Neutron Research.