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Decommissioning & Environmental Sciences
The mission of the Decommissioning and Environmental Sciences (DES) Division is to promote the development and use of those skills and technologies associated with the use of nuclear energy and the optimal management and stewardship of the environment, sustainable development, decommissioning, remediation, reutilization, and long-term surveillance and maintenance of nuclear-related installations, and sites. The target audience for this effort is the membership of the Division, the Society, and the public at large.
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Conference on Nuclear Training and Education: A Biennial International Forum (CONTE 2025)
February 3–6, 2025
Amelia Island, FL|Omni Amelia Island Resort
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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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Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
Fermilab center renamed after late particle physicist Helen Edwards
Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory’s Integrated Engineering Research Center, which officially opened in January 2024, is now known as the Helen Edwards Engineering Center. The name was changed to honor the late particle physicist who led the design, construction, commissioning, and operation of the lab’s Tevatron accelerator and was part of the Water Resources Development Act signed by President Biden in December 2024, according to a Fermilab press release.
D. R. Harding, M. D. Wittman, D. H. Edgell
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 63 | Number 2 | March-April 2013 | Pages 95-105
Technical Paper | Selected papers from 20th Target Fabrication Meeting, May 20-24, 2012, Santa Fe, NM, Guest Editor: Robert C. Cook | doi.org/10.13182/FST13-A16326
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Modifications to the National Ignition Facility (NIF) Cryogenic Target Positioner (Cryo-TarPos) are needed to provide polar-drive-ignition targets; ideally, these modifications will be completed and tested by 2017, the earliest date anticipated for polar-drive-ignition experiments. The extent of these modifications is defined by the mechanical and thermal requirements needed for the target to conform to the ignition design and the capabilities of the existing equipment. This paper describes the design of the polar-drive target assembly and the surrounding cryogenic environment that meets many of the specifications and requirements for the ignition target. Further work is necessary to optimize the design and provide more-detailed guidance for modifying the NIF Cryo-TarPos; however, there is sufficient information to begin the redesign effort at the conceptual level.A specialized facility has been constructed to test different target assembly and cryogenic hardware designs. The equipment provides the mechanical and cryogenic functionality available at the NIF, making it possible to test different target designs with deuterium in a configuration suitable for integration with the NIF Cryo-TarPos. The polar-drive target assembly has demonstrated a stable ice layer (170 to 350 m thick) and the ability to control the thickness to ±3 m of the desired value. The target is rotatable to fully characterize the D2 ice surface using shadowgraphy and X-ray phase contrast. Thermal models of the target and its environment indicate that (a) it should be possible to achieve the desired 1-m root-mean-square smoothness using D-T, (b) the fill tube has little effect on the ice smoothness, and (c) it is possible to shape the isotherms surrounding the target sufficiently to form an oblate ice layer that may be more desirable for polar-drive implosions.
