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
Aerospace Nuclear Science & Technology
Organized to promote the advancement of knowledge in the use of nuclear science and technologies in the aerospace application. Specialized nuclear-based technologies and applications are needed to advance the state-of-the-art in aerospace design, engineering and operations to explore planetary bodies in our solar system and beyond, plus enhance the safety of air travel, especially high speed air travel. Areas of interest will include but are not limited to the creation of nuclear-based power and propulsion systems, multifunctional materials to protect humans and electronic components from atmospheric, space, and nuclear power system radiation, human factor strategies for the safety and reliable operation of nuclear power and propulsion plants by non-specialized personnel and more.
Meeting Spotlight
2021 ANS Winter Meeting and Technology Expo
November 30–December 3, 2021
Washington, DC|Washington Hilton
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
Sep 2021
Jul 2021
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
October 2021
Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
August 2021
Latest News
Matthew Denman: On Probabilistic Risk Assessment
Matthew Denman
Probabilistic risk assessment is a systematic methodology for evaluating risks associated with a complex engineered technology such as nuclear energy. PRA risk is defined in terms of possible detrimental outcomes of an activity or action, and as such, risk is characterized by three quantities: what can go wrong, the likelihood of the problem, and the resulting consequences of the problem.
Matthew Denman is principal engineer for reliability engineering at Kairos Power and the chair of the American Nuclear Society and American Society of Mechanical Engineers Joint Committee on Nuclear Risk Management’s Subcommittee of Standards Development. As a college student at the University of Florida, Denman took a course on PRA but didn’t enjoy it, because he did not see its connection to the nuclear power industry. Later, during his Ph.D. study at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, his advisor was Neil Todreas, a well-known thermal hydraulics expert. Todreas was working on a project with George Apostolakis, who would leave MIT to become a commissioner of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The project, “Risk Informing the Design of the Sodium-Cooled Fast Reactor,” was a multi-university effort funded through a Department of Energy Nuclear Energy Research Initiative (NERI) grant. Todreas and Apostolakis were joined in this project by a who’s who of nuclear academia, including Andy Kadak (MIT, ANS past president [1999–2000]), Mike Driscoll (MIT), Mike Golay (MIT), Mike Lineberry (Idaho State University, former ANS treasurer), Rich Denning (Ohio State University), and Tunc Aldemir (Ohio State University).
Proceedings can be purchased from the ANS Store.
As the nuclear community expands and relates to more and more allied technical fields, the Topical Meeting becomes an increasingly important medium of communication. Under American Nuclear Society sponsorship, Topical Meetings are presented each year within the United States as well as internationally.
The ANS Proceedings of Topical Meetings provide archival records of these important technical exchanges. These Proceedings meet established scientific and technical standards, especially as to the criteria for acceptance and review of technical papers published. Hundreds of highly qualified specialists personally participate in ANS Topical Meetings. An awareness of the technology as reported, discussed, and appraised at these meetings can be of inestimable value to those who could not attend.
ANS publications cannot accept papers from countries that are on the list of Sanctioned Countries and Programs, issued by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of Treasury, in the resource-center sanction programs.
ANS Publications Name Change Policy
ANS's official name change policy allows any author to submit a request to have all articles published with ANS updated to reflect this change. Go to the name change policy page or email askanything@ans.org for more information.
Duplication of this product and its content in print or digital form for the purpose of sharing with others is prohibited without permission from the American Nuclear Society. Exceptions include:
In all cases, an author should provide a link to the version of record (final published version) on the ANS website or a reference to the published article.
Copyright and Disclaimer Required Format for CD Publications
Risk Management Copyright Form
Guidelines for Full Paper Preparation Adobe Acrobat File Instructions Microsoft Word Template
