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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
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!
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Latest News
Senate committee hears from energy secretary nominee Chris Wright
Wright
Chris Wright, president-elect Trump’s pick to lead the U.S. Department of Energy, spent hours today fielding questions from members of the U.S. Senate’s committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
During the hearing, Wright—who’s spent most of his career in fossil fuels—made comments in support of nuclear energy and efforts to expand domestic generation in the near future. Asked what actions he would take as energy secretary to improve the development and deployment of SMRs, Wright said: “It’s a big challenge, and I’m new to government, so I can’t list off the five levers I can pull. But (I’ve been in discussions) about how to make it easier to research, to invest, to build things. The DOE has land at some of its facilities that can be helpful in this regard.”
Isao Murata, Takamasa Mori, Masayuki Nakagawa
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 123 | Number 1 | May 1996 | Pages 96-109
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE96-A24215
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The method to treat randomly distributed spherical fuels in continuous energy Monte Carlo calculations has been established. In this method, the location of a spherical fuel is sampled probabilistically along the particle flight path from the spatial probability distribution of spherical fuels, called the nearest neighbor distribution. The necessary probability distribution was evaluated by a newly developed Monte Carlo hard sphere packing simulation code, which employs a random vector synthesis method to reduce overlaps of spherical fuels. The obtained probability distribution was validated by comparing a cross-section photograph of a real fuel compact and an X-ray diffraction experimental result. This method was installed in a Monte Carlo particle transport code and validated by an inventory check of spherical fuels and criticality calculations of ordered packing models. Also, an analysis of a critical assembly experiment was performed with the new code. As a result, it was confirmed that the method was applicable to practical reactor analysis. The method established is quite unique in the respect of probabilistically modeling the geometry of a great number of spherical fuels distributed randomly without any loss of the advantage of the continuous energy method.