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Division Spotlight
Nuclear Criticality Safety
NCSD provides communication among nuclear criticality safety professionals through the development of standards, the evolution of training methods and materials, the presentation of technical data and procedures, and the creation of specialty publications. In these ways, the division furthers the exchange of technical information on nuclear criticality safety with the ultimate goal of promoting the safe handling of fissionable materials outside reactors.
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
NRC issues subsequent license renewal to Monticello plant
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has renewed for a second time the operating license for Unit 1 of Minnesota’s Monticello nuclear power plant.
Emma E. Regentova, Lei Zhang, Ajay K. Mandava, Vijay K. Mandava, Kranthi K. Potetti, Gongyin Chen, Zane Wilson
Nuclear Technology | Volume 175 | Number 1 | July 2011 | Pages 276-285
Technical Paper | Special Issue on the 16th Biennial Topical Meeting of the Radiation Protection and Shielding Division / Radiation Measurements and General Instrumentation | doi.org/10.13182/NT11-A12300
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Megavoltage X-ray technology is utilized to detect fissile materials that can be smuggled by terrorists among commercial goods in cargo containers. Material discrimination with dual energy barriers is based on a ratio of penetration levels at respective energies. However, for a broad bremsstrahlung spectrum, the approach is not reliable because of its sensitivity to mass thickness. Furthermore, cargo containers usually have combinations of materials in a stack that further complicates material identification. It is imperative to study the capability of dual mega-electron-volt energy radioscopy to detect materials of interest for its practical application at customs. The time to perform this inspection automatically and the need to manually open the container for examination are to be minimized for the smooth transport of goods through the national border. In this work, Linatron K9, developed and manufactured by Varian Inc., Inspection and Security Products, is used for experimentation. By switching 6- and 9-MeV beams, an interlaced penetration response is obtained. The automated detection of materials of high atomic numbers in the stack of materials is performed by proposed adaptive thresholding algorithm. The evaluation of the system based on a worst case scenario shows that the system meets requirements defined in the congressional report in terms of true and false positive identification rates, smallest object resolution, and the processing time.