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Conference Spotlight
2026 Annual Conference
May 31–June 3, 2026
Denver, CO|Sheraton Denver
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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Nuclear Science and Engineering
January 2026
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December 2025
Fusion Science and Technology
November 2025
Latest News
Seconds Matter: Rethinking Nuclear Facility Security for the Modern Threat Landscape
In today’s rapidly evolving threat environment, nuclear facilities must prioritize speed and precision in their security responses—because in critical moments, every second counts. An early warning system serves as a vital layer of defense, enabling real-time detection of potential intrusions or anomalies before they escalate into full-blown incidents. By providing immediate alerts and actionable intelligence, these systems empower security personnel to respond decisively, minimizing risk to infrastructure, personnel, and the public. The ability to anticipate and intercept threats at the earliest possible stage not only enhances operational resilience but also reinforces public trust in the safety of nuclear operations. Investing in such proactive technologies is no longer optional—it’s essential for modern nuclear security.
E. G. Lindquist, T. E. Gebhart, D. Elliott, E. W. Garren, Z. He, N. Kafle, C. D. Smith, C. E. Thomas, S. J. Zinkle, T. M. Biewer
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 77 | Number 7 | November 2021 | Pages 921-927
Student Paper Competition Selection | doi.org/10.1080/15361055.2021.1909989
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
An electrothermal-arc plasma source (ET-Arc) has been developed to produce transient plasma heat and particle fluxes similar to those produced by edge localized modes onto divertor plasma-facing components in tokamaks. The ET-Arc utilizes a capacitive discharge to send current through a 4-mm-diameter, 9-cm-long capillary source liner. The liner material is ablated to form a high-velocity plasma jet that impacts the target downstream. With the current discharge circuit configuration, pulse lengths are 1 to 2 ms in duration and deliver heat fluxes of 0.25 to 2.1 GW m−2. The plasma was previously characterized with optical emission spectroscopy (OES) on helium emission lines. The He I line ratios were interpreted with collisional radiative analysis to calculate ne and Te. The electron temperature and electron density ranged from Te = 1 to 5 eV and ne = 1022 to 1028 electrons/m3, respectively.
Recently, the vacuum configuration and target of the ET-Arc device were modified to allow greater diagnostic access for plasma-material interaction (PMI) studies and diagnostic development. The diagnostic suite included two Tektronix high-voltage probes to measure the capacitor and discharge potentials, a discharge current monitor, Edgertronic SC1 high-speed cameras to image the discharge, and a FLIR SC4000 infrared camera to estimate heat flux on the target. The system used OES for plasma characterization, but a new Thomson scattering (TS) diagnostic has been implemented. This system is an Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-E)-funded, portable diagnostic package for spectroscopic measurements of ne, Te, ni, Ti,, and vi, which includes both TS and OES. Additionally, a novel digital holography (DH) surface-imaging diagnostic was implemented to measure erosion rates in situ. Results from ex situ DH characterization of stainless steel targets exposed to the ET-Arc source indicated that surface erosion of ~150 nm per shot occurred and an in situ DH characterization of similar targets was planned. The arc-triggering system will be revised and optimized to better synchronize with the laser diagnostics. Details of the reconfigured ET-Arc source are reported here.
