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Division Spotlight
Materials Science & Technology
The objectives of MSTD are: promote the advancement of materials science in Nuclear Science Technology; support the multidisciplines which constitute it; encourage research by providing a forum for the presentation, exchange, and documentation of relevant information; promote the interaction and communication among its members; and recognize and reward its members for significant contributions to the field of materials science in nuclear technology.
Meeting Spotlight
ANS Student Conference 2025
April 3–5, 2025
Albuquerque, NM|The University of New Mexico
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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Nuclear Science and Engineering
March 2025
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February 2025
Latest News
ARG-US Remote Monitoring Systems: Use Cases and Applications in Nuclear Facilities and During Transportation
As highlighted in the Spring 2024 issue of Radwaste Solutions, researchers at the Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory are developing and deploying ARG-US—meaning “Watchful Guardian”—remote monitoring systems technologies to enhance the safety, security, and safeguards (3S) of packages of nuclear and other radioactive material during storage, transportation, and disposal.
Tingzhou Fei, Zhaopeng Zhong, Samuel E. Bays, Florent Heidet
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 196 | Number 1 | October 2022 | Pages S98-S109
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.1080/00295639.2021.1991760
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The Versatile Test Reactor (VTR) is currently under development by the U.S. Department of Energy. It will provide very high fast neutron flux irradiation capabilities that are currently unavailable in the United States. Given the increasingly large number of advanced reactor concepts being pursued in recent years, this irradiation testing capability will be essential to support maturation of these designs. Radiation protection is an important part of the VTR design. High neutron fluxes can pose a challenge for radiation protection of the structures and equipment near the reactor core. This paper provides a summary on the status of the radiation protection considerations and shielding analysis performed for VTR under a nominal operating condition. The main radiation sources identified and examined in the study are applicable only under this operating condition. The paper focuses on three areas of radiation protection and shielding: secondary sodium activation in the intermediate heat exchanger, air activation in the reactor vessel auxiliary cooling system, and dose rate above the head access area due to primary sodium activation. VTR design and development are continuously progressing, and as such, the shielding considerations discussed in this paper will evolve alongside the overall VTR design.