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!
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Latest News
Is waste really waste?
Tim Tinsley
I’ve been reflecting on the recent American Nuclear Society Winter Conference and Expo, where I enjoyed the discussion on recycling used nuclear fuel to recover valuable minerals or products for future applications. I have spent more than 30 years focusing on dissolving and separating nuclear material, so it was refreshing to hear the case for new applications being made. However, I feel that these discussions could go further still.
Radiation is energy, something that our society seems to have an endless need for. A nuclear power station produces a lot of radiation that is mostly discarded. But once fuel has been used, it still produces significant levels of radiation and heat energy. The associated storage, processing, and eventual disposal of this used fuel requires careful management and investment to protect systems and people from the radiation. Should we really disregard—and discard—this energy source, along with all the valuable minerals in the used fuel, when we could instead use it to deliver significant value to society?
Mihály Makai, Zoltán Szatmáry
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 177 | Number 1 | May 2014 | Pages 52-67
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE12-97
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
In the Monte Carlo (MC) method, statistical noise is usually present, and it may become dominant in the calculation of a distribution, usually by iteration, but it is less important in calculating integrals. The subject of the present work is the role of statistical noise in iterations involving stochastic simulation (the MC method). Convergence is checked by comparing two consecutive solutions in the iteration. The statistical noise may randomize or pervert the convergence. We study the probability of convergence and the correct estimation of the variance in a simplified model problem. We also study the statistical properties of the solution to a deterministic problem with a stochastic source obtained from a stochastic calculation. There are iteration strategies resulting in nonconvergence or a randomly stopped iteration.