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Division Spotlight
Reactor Physics
The division's objectives are to promote the advancement of knowledge and understanding of the fundamental physical phenomena characterizing nuclear reactors and other nuclear systems. The division encourages research and disseminates information through meetings and publications. Areas of technical interest include nuclear data, particle interactions and transport, reactor and nuclear systems analysis, methods, design, validation and operating experience and standards. The Wigner Award heads the awards program.
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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. F. Carew, P. Neogy
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 91 | Number 1 | September 1985 | Pages 117-122
Technical Note | doi.org/10.13182/NSE85-A17134
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
An analysis of the excitation of neutron flux waves in reactor core transients has been performed. A perturbation theory solution has been developed for the time-dependent thermal diffusion equation in which the absorption cross section undergoes a rapid change, as in a pressurized water reactor rod ejection accident. In this analysis the unperturbed reactor flux states provide the basis for the spatial representation of the flux solution. Using a simplified space-time representation for the cross-section change, the temporal integrations have been carried out and analytic expressions for the modal flux amplitudes determined. The first-order modal excitation strength is determined by the spatial overlap between the initial and final flux states and the cross-section perturbation. The flux wave amplitudes are found to be largest for rapid transients involving large reactivity perturbations.