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Division Spotlight
Decommissioning & Environmental Sciences
The mission of the Decommissioning and Environmental Sciences (DES) Division is to promote the development and use of those skills and technologies associated with the use of nuclear energy and the optimal management and stewardship of the environment, sustainable development, decommissioning, remediation, reutilization, and long-term surveillance and maintenance of nuclear-related installations, and sites. The target audience for this effort is the membership of the Division, the Society, and the public at large.
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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February 2025
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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?
H. O. Menlove, R. H. Augustson, Darryl B. Smith
Nuclear Technology | Volume 10 | Number 3 | March 1971 | Pages 366-379
Technical Paper | Analysis | doi.org/10.13182/NT71-A30970
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A technique has been developed for the nondestructive assay of fissionable materials which makes use of the variations with energy in the fission cross section for a given isotope in order to produce a signature characteristic of that isotope. The technique consists of irradiating the sample with neutrons from an accelerator and measuring the delayed-neutron response from the induced fission reactions in the sample. Different neutron irradiation energies were obtained by surrounding a 14-MeV neutron source with various moderating assemblies. Assay results obtained using this delayed-neutron technique include the following: (a) uranium samples with enrichments ranging from ∼3 to 98%; (b) plutonium-uranium oxides; (c) 233u-232Th salt mixtures; (d) “spent” reactor fuel elements; and (e) scrap containers ranging in size from small vials to one-gallon cans containing plutonium or uranium scrap. In addition, measurements have been made on the influence of various nonfissionable matrix materials on the assay results.
