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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.
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ANS Student Conference 2025
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Albuquerque, NM|The University of New Mexico
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General Kenneth Nichols and the Manhattan Project
Nichols
The Oak Ridger has published the latest in a series of articles about General Kenneth D. Nichols, the Manhattan Project, and the 1954 Atomic Energy Act. The series has been produced by Nichols’ grandniece Barbara Rogers Scollin and Oak Ridge (Tenn.) city historian David Ray Smith. Gen. Nichols (1907–2000) was the district engineer for the Manhattan Engineer District during the Manhattan Project.
As Smith and Scollin explain, Nichols “had supervision of the research and development connected with, and the design, construction, and operation of, all plants required to produce plutonium-239 and uranium-235, including the construction of the towns of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and Richland, Washington. The responsibility of his position was massive as he oversaw a workforce of both military and civilian personnel of approximately 125,000; his Oak Ridge office became the center of the wartime atomic energy’s activities.”
W. J. O'Donnell, B. F. Langer
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 20 | Number 1 | September 1964 | Pages 1-12
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE64-A19269
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
General methods have recently been developed for low-cycle fatigue design. The required basic strain-controlled data for both unirradiated and irradiated Zircaloy–2, −3, and −4 were obtained for temperatures between 70 F and 600 F. Data include both rolled and base-annealed material, and as-welded material tested in various directions. The “cyclic” stress-strain properties of these materials were also obtained and were found to differ quite significantly from the conventional properties. Using the cyclic properties in a Modified Goodman Diagram, fatigue-failure curves were developed which included the deleterious effect of the maximum possible mean stress that can exist in the material as it is cycled. Limited available test data confirm the validity of this method. Using the resulting curves, one need only consider the cyclic stress loads. The worst possible effects of residual stresses due to welding and other fabrication methods, and mean stresses due to differential thermal expansion are included in the curves. The phenomenon of fuel growth introduces a monotonically increasing strain which accompanies the cyclic strain. The effects of such a gradually accumulating increment of strain were investigated and were found to be adequately covered by the adjustment for maximum mean stress. Design curves were constructed from the mean failure curves by applying approximate factors to cover the effects of size, environment, surface finish and scatter of data. The results of fatigue tests on notched irradiated Zircaloy indicate that this material is somewhat less notch sensitive than 100 000-lb/in.2 tensile strength steel. Unirradiated Zircaloy is even less notch sensitive. However, fatigue tests on notched weld metal indicate considerably greater notch sensitivity.