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Aerospace Nuclear Science & Technology
Organized to promote the advancement of knowledge in the use of nuclear science and technologies in the aerospace application. Specialized nuclear-based technologies and applications are needed to advance the state-of-the-art in aerospace design, engineering and operations to explore planetary bodies in our solar system and beyond, plus enhance the safety of air travel, especially high speed air travel. Areas of interest will include but are not limited to the creation of nuclear-based power and propulsion systems, multifunctional materials to protect humans and electronic components from atmospheric, space, and nuclear power system radiation, human factor strategies for the safety and reliable operation of nuclear power and propulsion plants by non-specialized personnel and more.
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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!
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Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
First astatine-labeled compound shipped in the U.S.
The Department of Energy’s National Isotope Development Center (NIDC) on March 31 announced the successful long-distance shipment in the United States of a biologically active compound labeled with the medical radioisotope astatine-211 (At-211). Because previous shipments have included only the “bare” isotope, the NIDC has described the development as “unleashing medical innovation.”
A. Herrmann, B. Sieglin, M. Faitsch, ASDEX Upgrade Team
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 69 | Number 3 | May 2016 | Pages 569-579
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/FST15-187
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Monitoring the surface temperature of in-vessel components is part of machine protection. The surface temperature itself and the resulting temperature of the interface to the cooling structure have to be taken into account. The tolerated surface temperature is not a fixed quantity but depends on the heat load scenario. The interface temperature can be calculated by solving the heat diffusion equation and determining the temperature profile inside the target. Surface effects and parasitic radiation falsify the estimated temperature, which is higher than the real bulk temperature. From the machine protection point of view, the contributions are inherently safe. They might result in an early alarm, not justified by the target temperature itself reducing the tolerated operation range. Real-time characterization and quantification can be done by considering the temporal evolution of the measured surface temperature. This is recommended to be done by heat load calculation. Infrared (IR) systems under development allow one to calculate the heat load from the measured photon flux in real time. The impact of surface effects and parasitic radiation on the calculated temperature is dependent on wavelength. A suitable compromise for an IR system is a mid-wave IR system. It should be combined with a near-IR system for temperature validation at higher temperatures.
