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Conference Spotlight
Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
September 8–11, 2025
Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis
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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Deep Space: The new frontier of radiation controls
In commercial nuclear power, there has always been a deliberate tension between the regulator and the utility owner. The regulator fundamentally exists to protect the worker, and the utility, to make a profit. It is a win-win balance.
From the U.S. nuclear industry has emerged a brilliantly successful occupational nuclear safety record—largely the result of an ALARA (as low as reasonably achievable) process that has driven exposure rates down to what only a decade ago would have been considered unthinkable. In the U.S. nuclear industry, the system has accomplished an excellent, nearly seamless process that succeeds to the benefit of both employee and utility owner.
G. E. Hansen, H. C. Paxton, D. P. Wood
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 8 | Number 6 | December 1960 | Pages 570-577
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE60-A25843
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Critical configurations have been established with enriched uranium in the form of squat 15.0-in. diameter cylinders and elongated 3.24-in. diameter cylinders. These cores were reflected by depleted uranium, polyethylene, graphite, and water; also, the squat cylinder was unreflected and reflected by beryllium of various thicknesses. Critical systems of plutonium were squat 6.0-in. diameter cylinders and elongated 2.25-in. diameter cylinders reflected by normal uranium, graphite, water, and in one case, polyethylene. Observed critical heights and diameters were corrected to correspond to standard enriched-uranium and plutonium densities and concentrations. These are tabulated along with effective extrapolation distances.