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
Young Members Group
The Young Members Group works to encourage and enable all young professional members to be actively involved in the efforts and endeavors of the Society at all levels (Professional Divisions, ANS Governance, Local Sections, etc.) as they transition from the role of a student to the role of a professional. It sponsors non-technical workshops and meetings that provide professional development and networking opportunities for young professionals, collaborates with other Divisions and Groups in developing technical and non-technical content for topical and national meetings, encourages its members to participate in the activities of the Groups and Divisions that are closely related to their professional interests as well as in their local sections, introduces young members to the rules and governance structure of the Society, and nominates young professionals for awards and leadership opportunities available to members.
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
Apr 2025
Jan 2025
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
May 2025
Nuclear Technology
April 2025
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
General Kenneth Nichols and the Manhattan Project
Nichols
The Oak Ridger has published the latest in a series of articles about General Kenneth D. Nichols, the Manhattan Project, and the 1954 Atomic Energy Act. The series has been produced by Nichols’ grandniece Barbara Rogers Scollin and Oak Ridge (Tenn.) city historian David Ray Smith. Gen. Nichols (1907–2000) was the district engineer for the Manhattan Engineer District during the Manhattan Project.
As Smith and Scollin explain, Nichols “had supervision of the research and development connected with, and the design, construction, and operation of, all plants required to produce plutonium-239 and uranium-235, including the construction of the towns of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and Richland, Washington. The responsibility of his position was massive as he oversaw a workforce of both military and civilian personnel of approximately 125,000; his Oak Ridge office became the center of the wartime atomic energy’s activities.”
F.-Y. Tsai, E. L. Alfonso, S.-H. Chen, D. R. Harding
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 38 | Number 1 | July 2000 | Pages 83-89
Technical Paper | Thirteenth Target Fabrication Specialists’ Meeting | doi.org/10.13182/FST00-A36121
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Spherical polyimide (PMDA-ODA) shells with high aspect ratio (OD = 900 to 1020 μm and wall thickness = 0.7 to 8.0 μm) were successfully fabricated by the vapor deposition method. These shells were characterized in terms of gas permeability, Young’s modulus, tensile strength, and ultimate elongation. The measured properties of the shells agreed with those of commercial films (Kapton®). Post-coating treatments of the shells, including thermal imidization in air and biaxial expansion, effectively increased gas permeability. Air-curing resulted in shells that were more brittle and twice as permeable as those cured in nitrogen. Since no difference in chemical composition was found between the N2- and air-cured shells, the effect of air-curing may be attributed to morphological or microstructural changes due to oxygen or water vapor in air. Shells that were expanded plastically showed over 300-fold increase in gas permeability, while retaining half of the original Young’s modulus. The effect of expansion on permeability may have arisen from localized plastic deformation. Both treatments will be useful for preparing ICF targets that allow a rapid fill with DT fuel for cryogenic experiments.
