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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.
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Utility Working Conference and Vendor Technology Expo (UWC 2024)
August 4–7, 2024
Marco Island, FL|JW Marriott Marco Island
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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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Latest News
Vogtle-3 shuts down for valve issue
One of the new Vogtle units in Georgia was shut down unexpectedly on Monday last week for a valve issue that has since been investigated and repaired. According to multiple local news outlets, Georgia Power reported on July 17 that Unit 3 was back in service.
Southern Company spokesperson Jacob Hawkins confirmed that Vogtle-3 went off line at 9:25 p.m. local time on July 8 “due to lowering water levels in the steam generators caused by a valve issue on one of the three main feedwater pumps.”
K. Govinda Rajan, U. Kamachi Mudali, R. K. Dayal, P. Rodriguez
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 20 | Number 1 | August 1991 | Pages 100-104
Technical Note on Cold Fusion | doi.org/10.13182/FST91-A29647
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Following recent announcements of the occurrence of nuclear fusion between deuterium nuclei in palladium near room temperature in an electrolysis cell, explanations for the incredibly large increase in fusion probability have been sought. Two pointers seem to emerge: the high density of deuterium ions sustained by the cathode material and, more importantly, the substantial screening effect produced by the conduction electrons in the host metal, which reduces the D+-D+ barrier. This latter mechanism appears to be a function of the concentration of the D+ ions. It is well known that an electric field applied across a metallic bar produces a large concentration gradient of interstitial ions along the length of the bar. For hydrogen (or deuterium) in metals, ordinary electric fields can produce a concentration gradient of ∼1020 between the ends. Thus, with the simultaneous application of an electric field along the length of the cathode in an electrolysis experiment, an elegant method of producing a nonequilibrium deuterium concentration becomes available. Hence, it is reasonable to expect an enhancement in the nuclear reactions occurring in the cathode in such an experiment. To investigate this phenomenon, a two-compartment electrolysis cell is built. A titanium rod suitably shaped for the application of the simultaneous electric field is employed as the cathode. Electrolysis of heavy water is conducted for several hours. Neutron counters are employed for continuous detection of neutrons. With the size of electrode used and for electric fields of up to 20 mV/cm, neither a significant neutron emission nor any rise in the tritium level in the heavy water are detected. Faint traces of autoradiographs are, however, observed for the cathode.