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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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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?
B. H. Erkkila, R. S. Marshall
Nuclear Technology | Volume 50 | Number 3 | October 1980 | Pages 307-313
Technical Paper | Instrument | doi.org/10.13182/NT80-A32533
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Thermal neutron coincidence counters are used to measure plutonium-bearing materials in-line at the Plutonium Processing Facility at the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory. Complicated operating procedures and time-consuming manual calculations have been eliminated by automating these instruments with a microprocessor-based control module. The instrument user performs several different measurements including the plutonium assay through a portable hand-held terminal that is connected to the control module. The results of a measurement are displayed on this terminal and can be transmitted to a central accounting computer. This instrument is programmed to perform all required calculations and store the results in the control module. These instruments have been readily accepted by operating personnel and their reliability and ease of use have contributed to the near-real-time nuclear material accountability system.
