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Thermal Hydraulics
The division provides a forum for focused technical dialogue on thermal hydraulic technology in the nuclear industry. Specifically, this will include heat transfer and fluid mechanics involved in the utilization of nuclear energy. It is intended to attract the highest quality of theoretical and experimental work to ANS, including research on basic phenomena and application to nuclear system design.
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ANS Student Conference 2025
April 3–5, 2025
Albuquerque, NM|The University of New Mexico
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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
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.”
J. P. Lestone
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 80 | Number 1 | October 2024 | Pages S99-S104
Research Article | doi.org/10.1080/15361055.2024.2339644
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A review of the flurry of papers involving deuteron beams in 1933 and 1934 reveals some aspects of historical significance. A team led by Lawrence saw several mega-electron-volt protons and neutrons from deuteron-plus-deuteron (dd) fusion in 1933 before the discovery of this process by Oliphant et al. in 1934. However, Lawrence et al. failed to notice deuteron contamination in their targets, and instead incorrectly concluded that the protons and neutrons were being emitted back to back from the breakup of the deuterons in the relevant center-of-mass frame. By observing disintegrations induced by deuteron beams incident on deuterated targets, Oliphant et al. correctly identified dd fusion proceeding through an intermediate excited 4He nucleus that broke up into either back-to-back protons and tritons or back-to-back neutrons and 3He nuclei.
Here we use Oliphant et al.’s proton production rates to infer d(d,p) cross sections that are twice the known modern values. This discrepancy is likely due to our lack of knowledge of some key aspects of Oliphant et al.’s 1934 experimental setup. However, the deuterium beam energy dependence of Oliphant et al.’s d(d,p) proton production rate is clearly consistent with the quantum mechanical tunneling through the Coulomb barrier associated with the fusion of two hydrogen isotopes.