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Conference Spotlight
2026 Annual Conference
May 31–June 3, 2026
Denver, CO|Sheraton Denver
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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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What’s the most difficult question you’ve been asked as a maintenance instructor?
Blye Widmar
"Where are the prints?!"
This was the final question in an onslaught of verbal feedback, comments, and critiques I received from my students back in 2019. I had two years of instructor experience and was teaching a class that had been meticulously rehearsed in preparation for an accreditation visit. I knew the training material well and transferred that knowledge effectively enough for all the students to pass the class. As we wrapped up, I asked the students how they felt about my first big system-level class, and they did not hold back.
“Why was the exam from memory when we don’t work from memory in the plant?” “Why didn’t we refer to the vendor documents?” “Why didn’t we practice more on the mock-up?” And so on.
G. J. Safford, W. W. Havens, Jr.
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 11 | Number 1 | September 1961 | Pages 65-68
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE61-A25986
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The total neutron cross section of Pu239 has been measured at seventeen neutron energies between 0.00291 ev and 0.10 ev with a crystal spectrometer. The absorption cross section was obtained by subtracting the relatively small scattering cross section from the measured total cross section. The sample used was a plutonium-aluminum metallic foil containing 1% aluminum. The isotopic content of the plutonium was 99.82% Pu239, 0.15% Pu240, and 0.03% Pu241. The value obtained for the absorption cross section of Pu239 at 2200 meters/sec was σa = 1007 ± 8 barns.
