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Nuclear Nonproliferation Policy
The mission of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Policy Division (NNPD) is to promote the peaceful use of nuclear technology while simultaneously preventing the diversion and misuse of nuclear material and technology through appropriate safeguards and security, and promotion of nuclear nonproliferation policies. To achieve this mission, the objectives of the NNPD are to: Promote policy that discourages the proliferation of nuclear technology and material to inappropriate entities. Provide information to ANS members, the technical community at large, opinion leaders, and decision makers to improve their understanding of nuclear nonproliferation issues. Become a recognized technical resource on nuclear nonproliferation, safeguards, and security issues. Serve as the integration and coordination body for nuclear nonproliferation activities for the ANS. Work cooperatively with other ANS divisions to achieve these objective nonproliferation policies.
Meeting Spotlight
2024 ANS Winter Conference and Expo
November 17–21, 2024
Orlando, FL|Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld
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
November 2024
Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
A proactive approach to reactor vessel aging management
Unit 2 at the Prairie Island nuclear power plant near Red Wing, Minn., underwent an outage in fall 2023, which included extensive work on the reactor vessel using a novel approach to replace baffle-former bolts and lower radial clevis insert bolts. The work relied on extensive analysis beforehand to determine which bolts to replace such that only the new bolts were structurally credited for performance of their safety function. This proactive approach eliminated the need for costly contingencies associated with inspections.
J. P. Lestone, C. R. Bates, M. B. Chadwick, M. W. Paris
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 80 | Number 1 | October 2024 | Pages S72-S88
Research Article | doi.org/10.1080/15361055.2024.2334973
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
While studying d(d,n)3He fusion in 1938, Ruhlig observed protons with energies larger than 15 MeV. Ruhlig suggested that these high-energy protons were generated by tritium-on-deuterium fusion neutrons scattering protons out of a thin cellophane foil placed inside a cloud chamber. This led Ruhlig to hypothesize that he was observing secondary (in-flight) tritium-on-deuterium fusions and conclude that the d(t,n) reaction “must be an exceedingly probable one.” This was the first attempt to quantify the probability of d(t,n) fusion, using the ~1-MeV tritons generated by d(d,p)t fusion. This caused some Manhattan Project scientists to suggest that the d(t,n) cross sections are significantly higher than those for deuteron-on-deuterium fusion and led to the first measurement of d(3He,p) and d(t,n) cross sections in 1943. Here, we have used modern cross sections and stopping powers to estimate the expected numbers of high-energy protons associated with in-flight d(t,n) reactions in Ruhlig’s experiment. Our estimate is four orders of magnitude lower than Ruhlig’s observed rate. However, the number of high-energy protons in Ruhlig’s experiment can be obtained via simulation if the protons are assumed to have been emitted by secondary in-flight d(3He,p) reactions, with various plausible assumptions about the experimental geometry and target-backing thickness. Our calculations demonstrate that quantitative information about the fusion of A = 3 ions with deuterium could have been obtained via experiments similar to Ruhlig’s well in advance of the advent of 3He ion and triton beams in 1943. This opportunity seems to have been missed.