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
Accelerator Applications
The division was organized to promote the advancement of knowledge of the use of particle accelerator technologies for nuclear and other applications. It focuses on production of neutrons and other particles, utilization of these particles for scientific or industrial purposes, such as the production or destruction of radionuclides significant to energy, medicine, defense or other endeavors, as well as imaging and diagnostics.
Meeting Spotlight
International Conference on Mathematics and Computational Methods Applied to Nuclear Science and Engineering (M&C 2025)
April 27–30, 2025
Denver, CO|The Westin Denver Downtown
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
Apr 2025
Jan 2025
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
May 2025
Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
TerraPower begins U.K. regulatory approval process
Seattle-based TerraPower signaled its interest this week in building its Natrium small modular reactor in the United Kingdom, the company announced.
TerraPower sent a letter to the U.K.’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, formally establishing its intention to enter the U.K. generic design assessment (GDA) process. This is TerraPower’s first step in deployment of its Natrium technology—a 345-MW sodium fast reactor coupled with a molten salt energy storage unit—on the international stage.
O. K. Harling, K. J. Riley, T. H. Newton, B. A. Wilson, J. A. Bernard, L-W. Hu, E. J. Fonteneau, P. T. Menadier, S. J. Ali, B. Sutharshan, G. E. Kohse, Y. Ostrovsky, P. W. Stahle, P. J. Binns, W. S. Kiger III, P. M. Busse
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 140 | Number 3 | March 2002 | Pages 223-240
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE02-A2258
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A new type of epithermal neutron irradiation facility for use in neutron capture therapy has been designed, constructed, and put into operation at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Research Reactor (MITR). A fission converter, using plate-type fuel and driven by the MITR, is used as the source of neutrons. After partial moderation and filtration of the fission neutrons, a high-intensity forward directed beam is available with epithermal neutron flux [approximately equal to]1010 n/cm2s, 1 eV E 10 keV, at the entrance to the medical irradiation room, and epithermal neutron flux = 3 to 5 × 109 n/cm2s at the end of the patient collimator. This is currently the highest-intensity epithermal neutron beam. Furthermore, the system is designed and licensed to operate at three times higher power and flux should this be desired. Beam contamination from unwanted fast neutrons and gamma rays in the aluminum, polytetrafluoroethylene, cadmium and lead-filtered beam is negligible with a specific fast neutron and gamma dose, D,fn/epi [less than or approximately equal] 2 × 10-13 Gy cm2/nepi. With a currently approved neutron capture compound, boronophenylalanine, the therapeutically advantageous depth of penetration is >9 cm for a unilateral beam placement. Single fraction irradiations to tolerance can be completed in 5 to 10 min. An irradiation control system based on beam monitors and redundant, high-reliability programmable logic controllers is used to control the three beam shutters and to ensure that the prescribed neutron fluence is accurately delivered to the patient. A patient collimator with variable beam sizes facilitates patient irradiations in any desired orientation. A shielded medical room with a large window provides direct viewing of the patient, as well as remote viewing by television. Rapid access through a shielded and automatically operated door is provided. The D2O cooling system for the fuel has been conservatively designed with excess capacity and is fully instrumented to ensure detection and control of off-normal conditions. A wide range of possible abnormal events or accident scenarios has been analyzed to show that even in the worst cases, there should be no fission product release through fuel damage. This facility has been licensed to operate by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and initial operation commenced in June 2000.
