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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?
Ralph-D. Von Dincklage
Nuclear Technology | Volume 56 | Number 3 | March 1982 | Pages 591-593
Technical Note | Analyse | doi.org/10.13182/NT82-A32918
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
With the help of an α-ray-L-x-ray coincidence setup, elemental and isotopical concentrations of alpha-emitting isotopes can be measured. This method seems to be appropriate for analyzing complex alpha spectra. The anticipated coincidence counting rate is derived from atomic and nuclear properties for different actinides isotopes. It ranges from 1 to 107 s-1 per isotope and gram of spent reactor fuel (40 GWd/t, with a 3-yr cooling time). For the heavier actinides, this rate surpasses the random coincidence counting rate (∼1 × 103 s-1), thus the feasibility of the method can be expected. Uranium and plutonium, however, are not detectable in the presence of the heavier actinides.
