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
Nuclear Installations Safety
Devoted specifically to the safety of nuclear installations and the health and safety of the public, this division seeks a better understanding of the role of safety in the design, construction and operation of nuclear installation facilities. The division also promotes engineering and scientific technology advancement associated with the safety of such facilities.
Meeting Spotlight
ANS Student Conference 2025
April 3–5, 2025
Albuquerque, NM|The University of New Mexico
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
Mar 2025
Jul 2024
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
March 2025
Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
February 2025
Latest News
Molten salt research is focus of ANS local section presentation
The American Nuclear Society’s Chicago–Great Lakes Local Section hosted a presentation on February 27 on developments at the molten salt research reactor at Abilene Christian University’s Nuclear Energy Experimental Testing (NEXT) Lab.
A recording of the presentation is available on the ANS website.
Ralph Cooper
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 13 | Number 4 | August 1962 | Pages 355-365
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE62-A26177
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Critical sizes are determined for a variety of fast assemblies appropriate for nuclear rocket reactors. These are based on cores of UO2-W cermets or UC-metal carbide solid solutions reflected by beryllium. Rocket reactors weighing as little as 200 lb are possible, and, in larger sizes, either high power density or high exit gas temperature can be achieved. The fast spectrum allows the use of the most refractory materials (such as HfC) in bulk to obtain high performance. Use of U233in place of U235 can lead to substantial improvements in reactor weight, specific power, and/or temperature capability at the cost of the radiation associated with U233. The core sizes are generally quite small, which is valuable where shielding may be significant. Nuclear aspects, including control, uranium investment, power distribution, and reflector materials, are briefly discussed.