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
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
ANS Student Conference 2025
April 3–5, 2025
Albuquerque, NM|The University of New Mexico
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
Feb 2025
Jul 2024
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
March 2025
Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
February 2025
Latest News
Colin Judge: Testing structural materials in Idaho’s newest hot cell facility
Idaho National Laboratory’s newest facility—the Sample Preparation Laboratory (SPL)—sits across the road from the Hot Fuel Examination Facility (HFEF), which started operating in 1975. SPL will host the first new hot cells at INL’s Materials and Fuels Complex (MFC) in 50 years, giving INL researchers and partners new flexibility to test the structural properties of irradiated materials fresh from the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) or from a partner’s facility.
Materials meant to withstand extreme conditions in fission or fusion power plants must be tested under similar conditions and pushed past their breaking points so performance and limitations can be understood and improved. Once irradiated, materials samples can be cut down to size in SPL and packaged for testing in other facilities at INL or other national laboratories, commercial labs, or universities. But they can also be subjected to extreme thermal or corrosive conditions and mechanical testing right in SPL, explains Colin Judge, who, as INL’s division director for nuclear materials performance, oversees SPL and other facilities at the MFC.
SPL won’t go “hot” until January 2026, but Judge spoke with NN staff writer Susan Gallier about its capabilities as his team was moving instruments into the new facility.
November 9–13, 2014
Nuclear-The Foundation of Clean Energy
Anaheim, CA|Disneyland Hotel
The Disneyland Resort, Anaheim, CA, is the location for the 2014 ANS Winter Meeting and Nuclear Technology Expo, where all meeting activities and technical sessions will be held. Make your room reservation now! The special rate for the conference is $209. A limited number of rooms are reserved at this rate. To secure a room please contact the Disneyland Resort by booking online 24/7 at Disneyland Resort or by calling (714) 520-5005, Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm PST. Reservations must be made by Tuesday, October 14, 2014 or before the group rooms are sold out, so do not delay. Prevailing rates may apply after this date or when the group rooms are sold out, whichever occurs first. Rooms are subject to availability.
General Chair:
Ed Halpin (CNO, PG&E)
Assistant General Chair:
Lynn E. Walter (Station Support Director, Diablo Canyon Power Plant, Pacific Gas & Electric Company)
Program Chair:
Patrick Pinhero (Professor, University of Missouri/Columbia)
Assistant Program Chairs:
John Bess (R&D Nuclear Engineer, Idaho National Laboratory)
Jim Byrne (Byrne and Associates LLC)
Embedded Topical Meeting
Brian D. Wirth (Governor's Chair Professor of Nuclear Engineering, University of Tennessee)
Program Co-Chairs:
Vincent Chan (Theory and Computational Science Program Leader, General Atomics)
Rajesh Maingi (Head of Boundary & PFC Research, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory)