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
Radiation Protection & Shielding
The Radiation Protection and Shielding Division is developing and promoting radiation protection and shielding aspects of nuclear science and technology — including interaction of nuclear radiation with materials and biological systems, instruments and techniques for the measurement of nuclear radiation fields, and radiation shield design and evaluation.
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!
Latest Magazine Issues
Jan 2025
Jul 2024
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
February 2025
Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
How to talk about nuclear
In your career as a professional in the nuclear community, chances are you will, at some point, be asked (or volunteer) to talk to at least one layperson about the technology you know and love. You might even be asked to present to a whole group of nonnuclear folks, perhaps as a pitch to some company tangential to your company’s business. So, without further ado, let me give you some pointers on the best way to approach this important and surprisingly complicated task.
Jay E. Boudreau, R. C. Erdmann
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 51 | Number 2 | June 1973 | Pages 206-222
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE73-A26595
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Secondary criticality resulting from massive core rearrangement is discussed where the material dynamics results from either mild or strong initial excursions. Diffusion theory is used to study the effect of moving boundaries on the flux, and to study the effect of internal fuel rearrangement on keff. Numerical transport methods are used to make accurate determinations of keff for complicated fuel configurations arising from disassembly calculations. It is concluded that secondary criticality may occur from fuel rearrangement, but that it is unlikely in most cases. Variations in core height/diameter ratio, zonal enrichment, and overall size can change the tendency for autocatalysis significantly.
