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Division Spotlight
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.
Meeting Spotlight
2024 ANS Annual Conference
June 16–19, 2024
Las Vegas, NV|Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino
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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Latest News
Commercial nuclear innovation "new space" age
In early 2006, a start-up company launched a small rocket from a tiny island in the Pacific. It exploded, showering the island with debris. A year later, a second launch attempt sent a rocket to space but failed to make orbit, burning up in the atmosphere. Another year brought a third attempt—and a third failure. The following month, in September 2008, the company used the last of its funds to launch a fourth rocket. It reached orbit, making history as the first privately funded liquid-fueled rocket to do so.
Sylvia Saltzstein, Ken Sorenson (SNL), Brady Hanson (PNNL), Peter Swift (SNL)
Proceedings | 16th International High-Level Radioactive Waste Management Conference (IHLRWM 2017) | Charlotte, NC, April 9-13, 2017 | Pages 90-97
The Spent Fuel and Waste Science and Technology Campaign, formerly the Used Fuel Disposition Research and Development Campaign, within the Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy identifies alternatives and conducts scientific research and technology development to enable storage, transportation, and disposal of spent nuclear fuel and wastes generated by existing and future nuclear fuel cycles. This paper summarizes the major fiscal year 2016 accomplishments of the spent nuclear fuel storage and transportation part of the campaign.
The purpose of the storage and transportation research and development is to support development of the technical basis to inform management and licensing decisions regarding storage and transportation of spent nuclear fuel. Storage research and development focuses on closing technical gaps related to extended storage of spent nuclear fuel, including uncertainties with high-burnup spent nuclear fuel cladding performance and long-term canister integrity. Transportation research and development focuses on ensuring transportability of spent nuclear fuel following extended storage, addressing data gaps regarding nuclear fuel integrity, retrievability, and understanding the stresses and strains the fuel experiences during normal conditions of transport. Both of these areas are currently initiating large, multi-year tests, and this paper provides the progress of each. Because the tests are in the initial stages, little data will be presented here; further data will be available as the tests mature. References will be provided in this document for additional background, data, and details