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Nuclear Nonproliferation Policy
The mission of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Policy Division (NNPD) is to promote the peaceful use of nuclear technology while simultaneously preventing the diversion and misuse of nuclear material and technology through appropriate safeguards and security, and promotion of nuclear nonproliferation policies. To achieve this mission, the objectives of the NNPD are to: Promote policy that discourages the proliferation of nuclear technology and material to inappropriate entities. Provide information to ANS members, the technical community at large, opinion leaders, and decision makers to improve their understanding of nuclear nonproliferation issues. Become a recognized technical resource on nuclear nonproliferation, safeguards, and security issues. Serve as the integration and coordination body for nuclear nonproliferation activities for the ANS. Work cooperatively with other ANS divisions to achieve these objective nonproliferation policies.
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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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.
M. G. Silbert, J. R. Berreth
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 52 | Number 2 | October 1973 | Pages 187-200
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE73-A28188
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The radiative capture cross section of 238Pu has been measured from 18-eV to 200-keV neutron energy. A time-of-flight experiment with a 306-m flight path was carried out in conjunction with the underground nuclear explosion Persimmon. Fission-fragment detectors viewed a thin 238Pu target to measure the fission cross section, while modified Moxon-Rae detectors viewed a second, thicker 238Pu target to measure the gamma-ray emission. Subtraction of the fission gamma-ray contribution from the Moxon-Rae signal yielded the contribution due to radiative capture. Single-level area analysis of the measured fission and capture cross sections gave values for the neutron and fission widths of 49 resonances below 500 eV, under the assumption of a known, constant radiative capture width. The s-wave neutron strength function was determined to be (1.27 ± 0.25) × 10-4. The derived fission widths exhibit a distinct maximum near 300-eV neutron energy. At higher energies, the fission-to-capture ratio shows pronounced intermediate-structure peaks attributed to second-well effects in the fission barrier.
