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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
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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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.”
Hiroshige Kumamaru, Yutaka Kukita, Hideaki Asaka, Ming Wang, Etsuo Ohtani
Nuclear Technology | Volume 126 | Number 3 | June 1999 | Pages 331-339
Technical Note | Thermal Hydraulics | doi.org/10.13182/NT99-A2978
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The effectiveness of intentional depressurization of a pressurized water reactor primary system as a means to maintain core cooling during a small-break loss-of-coolant accident (SBLOCA) was studied. The investigation was based on experiments conducted at the Rig of Safety Assessment-V (ROSA-V) Large Scale Test Facility (LSTF) and RELAP5/MOD3 code calculations performed for LSTF geometry, together with single lumped-volume model calculations - all simulating hypothetical total failure of the high-pressure-injection system. For cold-leg breaks ≶2.5% of the leg cross-sectional area, experimental and analytical results have shown that the break discharge depressurizes the primary system to the accumulator (ACC) and low-pressure-injection (LPI) system injection pressures, and thus the core cladding temperature would be maintained below ~1000 K. For break areas ≤1.0%, on the other hand, additional depressurization means are needed to initiate the ACC injection before the core is overheated. RELAP5/MOD3 calculations have shown that steam venting through the pressurizer power-operated relief valves would be effective in depressurizing the primary system to the ACC and LPI pressures. However, for break areas <0.5%, the peak cladding temperature would finally reach the safety criterion of 1473 K.