ANS is committed to advancing, fostering, and promoting the development and application of nuclear sciences and technologies to benefit society.
Explore the many uses for nuclear science and its impact on energy, the environment, healthcare, food, and more.
Division Spotlight
Nuclear Installations Safety
Devoted specifically to the safety of nuclear installations and the health and safety of the public, this division seeks a better understanding of the role of safety in the design, construction and operation of nuclear installation facilities. The division also promotes engineering and scientific technology advancement associated with the safety of such facilities.
Meeting Spotlight
Conference on Nuclear Training and Education: A Biennial International Forum (CONTE 2025)
February 3–6, 2025
Amelia Island, FL|Omni Amelia Island Resort
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!
Latest Magazine Issues
Jan 2025
Jul 2024
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
February 2025
Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
How to talk about nuclear
In your career as a professional in the nuclear community, chances are you will, at some point, be asked (or volunteer) to talk to at least one layperson about the technology you know and love. You might even be asked to present to a whole group of nonnuclear folks, perhaps as a pitch to some company tangential to your company’s business. So, without further ado, let me give you some pointers on the best way to approach this important and surprisingly complicated task.
M. K. Sheaffer, M. J. Driscoll, I. Kaplan
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 48 | Number 4 | August 1972 | Pages 459-466
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE72-A22513
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A one-group method for the calculation of neutron balances in fast reactor cores is developed and evaluated. The key feature of the method is the definition of two spectrum characterization parameters in terms of spectrum-averaged one-group cross sections for the homogenized core composition: where ξel is the mean logarithmic energy decrement for elastic moderation and ∑f, ∑TR, and are fission, transport, and removal cross sections, respectively. All required cross sections can then be correlated in the form = σ1 Sg (where and g are constants; one pair of values correlated for each cross section) except for threshold fission for which = σ1Rg. A rapidly converging iterative procedure is presented through which S and R can be determined for any core composition. Microscopic cross-section data are correlated in the above form using the 26-group ABBN multigroup set as parent data. The one-group method is tested for 45 different fast reactor core compositions by comparing the results of the one-group calculations with those of 26-group calculations. The results are found to agree within an average error of ±1.77% in the material buckling or to ±0.69% in effective multiplication factor. One-group relationships are also developed for the calculation ofprompt-neutron lifetime, Doppler reactivity, and other parameters of interest.
