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Division Spotlight
Isotopes & Radiation
Members are devoted to applying nuclear science and engineering technologies involving isotopes, radiation applications, and associated equipment in scientific research, development, and industrial processes. Their interests lie primarily in education, industrial uses, biology, medicine, and health physics. Division committees include Analytical Applications of Isotopes and Radiation, Biology and Medicine, Radiation Applications, Radiation Sources and Detection, and Thermal Power Sources.
Meeting Spotlight
2024 ANS Winter Conference and Expo
November 17–21, 2024
Orlando, FL|Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld
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!
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Latest News
New laws offer nuclear industry incentives for existing power plant uprates
This year, the U.S. nuclear industry received a much-needed economic boost that could help preserve operating nuclear power plants and incentivize upgrades that extend their lifespan and power output.
Signed into law in 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act offers production tax credits (PTCs) for existing nuclear power plants and either PTCs or investment tax credits (ITCs) for new carbon-free generation. These credits could make power uprates—increasing the maximum power level at which a commercial plant may operate—a much more appealing option for utilities.
P. S. W. Chan, A. R. Dastur
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 103 | Number 3 | November 1989 | Pages 289-293
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE89-A23680
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The sensitivity to the axial neutron flux distribution of the positive reactivity that may have been introduced on initiation of scram in Chernobyl-4 has been evaluated. It is found that the scram reactivity is positive and its size is remarkably insensitive to a wide range of axial flux distortion provided the flux shape is concave, which is a characteristic of neutronic decoupling of the core. In contrast, the scram reactivity is negative when flux shapes are convex, i.e., those that are a characteristic of strong neutronic coupling. This indicates that unless there were a significant number of control absorbers present in the core just before the accident to provide a convex flux shape, the chances that some positive scram reactivity was inserted to initiate the power pulse are high.