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Reactor Physics
The division's objectives are to promote the advancement of knowledge and understanding of the fundamental physical phenomena characterizing nuclear reactors and other nuclear systems. The division encourages research and disseminates information through meetings and publications. Areas of technical interest include nuclear data, particle interactions and transport, reactor and nuclear systems analysis, methods, design, validation and operating experience and standards. The Wigner Award heads the awards program.
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ANS Student Conference 2025
April 3–5, 2025
Albuquerque, NM|The University of New Mexico
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February 2025
Latest News
WEST claims latest plasma confinement record
The French magnetic confinement fusion tokamak known as WEST maintained a plasma in February for more than 22 minutes—1,337 seconds, to be precise—and “smashed” the previous record plasma duration for a tokamak with a 25 percent improvement, according to the CEA, which operates the machine. The previous 1,006-second record was set by China’s EAST just a few weeks prior. Records are made to be broken, but this rapid progress illustrates a collective, global increase in plasma confinement expertise, aided by tungsten in key components.
Ashok Kumar, Feroz Ahmed, L. S. Kothari
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 67 | Number 1 | July 1978 | Pages 120-129
Technical Note | doi.org/10.13182/NSE78-A27242
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Using multigroup diffusion theory with energy-dependent boundary conditions, the propagation of thermal-neutron waves has been studied in finite assemblies of beryllium and beryllium oxide. At different frequencies, we have calculated α and ξ for the discrete (or pseudo-discrete) mode as well as effective values of α(z) and ξ(z) (which include the effect of the source and higher modes) at a distance, z, from the source plane. In the case of beryllium, the results are in agreement with experimental findings of Miles et al. As observed by Miles et al., we find oscillations in the calculated values of α(z) and ξ(z) in a certain distance range beyond a certain frequency, which decreases with the decrease of transverse size of the assembly. Furthermore, in conformity with the experimental results of Miles et al., we find that with a decrease in the transverse dimensions of the assembly, the oscillations become larger, until one goes to very small assemblies, where these oscillations tend to smooth out. In the case of beryllium oxide, since no agreed value of Debye temperature exists and since the energy distribution of source neutrons is not known, only a qualitative comparison with the experimental results of Ritchie and Whittlestone has been possible.