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Human Factors, Instrumentation & Controls
Improving task performance, system reliability, system and personnel safety, efficiency, and effectiveness are the division's main objectives. Its major areas of interest include task design, procedures, training, instrument and control layout and placement, stress control, anthropometrics, psychological input, and motivation.
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ANS Student Conference 2025
April 3–5, 2025
Albuquerque, NM|The University of New Mexico
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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
First astatine-labeled compound shipped in the U.S.
The Department of Energy’s National Isotope Development Center (NIDC) on March 31 announced the successful long-distance shipment in the United States of a biologically active compound labeled with the medical radioisotope astatine-211 (At-211). Because previous shipments have included only the “bare” isotope, the NIDC has described the development as “unleashing medical innovation.”
Shiyi He, Yan Xia, Fei Xu, Leidang Zhou, Xiaoping Ouyang
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 195 | Number 2 | February 2021 | Pages 148-160
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.1080/00295639.2020.1794454
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Alpha-decay propulsion technology, a microthrust technology based on thin spontaneous-alpha-decay films, is proposed in this paper. A large quantity of decayed alpha particles emitted from the upper surface of thin films would generate thrust statistically. Simulations were executed using the Monte Carlo N-Particle Transport Code (MCNP) to acquire the energy and angular distributions of escaping alpha particles, as well as the key parameters of alpha-decay films. A 22.40-μm 210Po film combined with a 20-μm aluminum film was able to generate an average thrust of 29.5 nN/cm2 in half-life time. The remaining charges and thermal energies of the decay films were considered. Directional-generated alpha particles were simulated to analyze the influence of angular scattering on escaped alpha-particle distributions. Alpha particles with low energy, with large scattering angles, or with large generated angles contributed less to thrust value. With the assumptions of no scattering, constant stopping power, and no range struggling, a set of analytic formulas were derived. Comparisons of the distributions and typical parameters between simulations and the analytic model were conducted. Discrepancies were mostly caused by the three assumptions and were less than 3.7% for thrust and less than 3.9% for the proportion of escaped alpha-particles.