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Division Spotlight
Nuclear Installations Safety
Devoted specifically to the safety of nuclear installations and the health and safety of the public, this division seeks a better understanding of the role of safety in the design, construction and operation of nuclear installation facilities. The division also promotes engineering and scientific technology advancement associated with the safety of such facilities.
Meeting Spotlight
2024 ANS Winter Conference and Expo
November 17–21, 2024
Orlando, FL|Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld
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
PNNL seeks high-energy neutrons from SpaceX launch of Polaris Dawn
When a SpaceX rocket lifted off from Kennedy Space Center on September 10 (see video here), sending a crewed commercial mission into low Earth orbit, an experiment designed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory was onboard. Several high-purity metal samples will orbit Earth and absorb cosmic radiation for five days—including that from the Van Allen radiation belt—to help the lab answer questions about the radiation environment for manned space missions, according to a news release from PNNL.
E. Hohmann, S. Safai, Ch. Bula, R. Lüscher, C. Harm, S. Mayer, O. Morath, E. Pedroni, S. Zenklusen
Nuclear Technology | Volume 175 | Number 1 | July 2011 | Pages 77-80
Technical Paper | Special Issue on the 16th Biennial Topical Meeting of the Radiation Protection and Shielding Division / Radiation Protection | doi.org/10.13182/NT11-A12273
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Proton therapy is a widely used method of cancer treatment. Undesired secondary particles such as neutrons accompany the irradiation. Depending on the measurement position, the expected main dose contribution due to undesired secondary particles arises from neutrons with energies >20 MeV. Conventionally used Andersson and Braun-type survey instruments may underestimate the ambient dose equivalent up to a factor of 2 due to their limited response for high-energy neutrons. Therefore, it is desirable to investigate the neutron stray field in conditions comparable to therapy treatment, in particular the resulting dose to equipment placed in the treatment vault to estimate possible consequences to its operation. The irradiation of a water phantom with 200-MeV protons adequately reproduces these conditions.