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
Robotics & Remote Systems
The Mission of the Robotics and Remote Systems Division is to promote the development and application of immersive simulation, robotics, and remote systems for hazardous environments for the purpose of reducing hazardous exposure to individuals, reducing environmental hazards and reducing the cost of performing work.
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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Nuclear Science and Engineering
February 2025
Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
DOE-EM awards $37.5M to Vanderbilt University for nuclear cleanup support
The Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management announced on January 16 that it has awarded a noncompetitive financial assistance agreement worth $37.5 million to Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., to aid the department’s mission of cleaning up legacy nuclear waste.
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.