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Explore the many uses for nuclear science and its impact on energy, the environment, healthcare, food, and more.
Division Spotlight
Reactor Physics
The division's objectives are to promote the advancement of knowledge and understanding of the fundamental physical phenomena characterizing nuclear reactors and other nuclear systems. The division encourages research and disseminates information through meetings and publications. Areas of technical interest include nuclear data, particle interactions and transport, reactor and nuclear systems analysis, methods, design, validation and operating experience and standards. The Wigner Award heads the awards program.
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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Nuclear Science and Engineering
February 2025
Nuclear Technology
January 2025
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
Reboot: Nuclear needs a success . . . anywhere
The media have gleefully resurrected the language of a past nuclear renaissance. Beyond the hype and PR, many people in the nuclear community are taking a more measured view of conditions that could lead to new construction: data center demand, the proliferation of new reactor designs and start-ups, and the sudden ascendance of nuclear energy as the power source everyone wants—or wants to talk about.
Once built, large nuclear reactors can provide clean power for at least 80 years—outlasting 10 to 20 presidential administrations. Smaller reactors can provide heat and power outputs tailored to an end user’s needs. With all the new attention, are we any closer to getting past persistent supply chain and workforce issues and building these new plants? And what will the election of Donald Trump to a second term as president mean for nuclear?
As usual, there are more questions than answers, and most come down to money. Several developers are engaging with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission or have already applied for a license, certification, or permit. But designs without paying customers won’t get built. So where are the customers, and what will it take for them to commit?
V. K. Sikka, J. Moteff
Nuclear Technology | Volume 22 | Number 1 | April 1974 | Pages 52-65
Technical Paper | Fusion Reactor Materials / Material | doi.org/10.13182/NT74-A16274
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The thermal stability of neutron-induced defects in molybdenum irradiated in Experimental Breeder Reactor II (EBR-II) to a fast-neutron fluence of ∼1 × 1022 n/cm2 (E >1 MeV) clearly suggests that there are critical temperature regimes that should be avoided by reactor design engineers. These regions are manifested by a rapid change in the micro structure within a small temperature interval, a circumstance that can significantly influence the strength and corresponding ductility of the material. One critical temperature occurs at ∼800°C, where the irradiation-induced modulus-corrected strength could vary significantly compared to unirradiated molybdenum for a small temperature variation around 800°C. Voids have been shown to occur in specimens irradiated at 430, 580, 700, 800, 900, and 1000°C; these voids are stable at temperatures up to ∼0.60 Tm , rather than the 0.55 Tm value reported earlier for low fluence irradiations. The increase in the complete void removal temperature is suggested to exist due to the presence of a larger void size and the ordered void lattice structure in EBR-II samples.
