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Aerospace Nuclear Science & Technology
Organized to promote the advancement of knowledge in the use of nuclear science and technologies in the aerospace application. Specialized nuclear-based technologies and applications are needed to advance the state-of-the-art in aerospace design, engineering and operations to explore planetary bodies in our solar system and beyond, plus enhance the safety of air travel, especially high speed air travel. Areas of interest will include but are not limited to the creation of nuclear-based power and propulsion systems, multifunctional materials to protect humans and electronic components from atmospheric, space, and nuclear power system radiation, human factor strategies for the safety and reliable operation of nuclear power and propulsion plants by non-specialized personnel and more.
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ANS Student Conference 2025
April 3–5, 2025
Albuquerque, NM|The University of New Mexico
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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.”
Lung-Kwang Pan
Nuclear Technology | Volume 89 | Number 1 | January 1990 | Pages 116-125
Technical Paper | Technique | doi.org/10.13182/NT90-A34363
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Destructive gamma-ray analysis of spent-fuel rods from the Taiwan Research Reactor has been performed at the Institute of Nuclear Energy Research. The purpose of the analysis is twofold: to identify the radioactivities, burnup values, and other essential parameters of spent-fuel rods, and to bridge the gap between the predicted and the actual values. The samples of fuel rods are taken from two kinds of irradiated materials: natural uranium metal and uranium dioxide pellets. Each sample is dissolved in nitric acid and diluted to 100 cm3; the uranium in each of these samples is identified down to the order of 10−10 g/cm3 by mass spectroscopy. A high-resolution, high-purity germanium detector coupled with a multichannel analyzer is used to detect 38 multiscaling gamma spectra within a 160-day period. Radioactivities of the evaluated fission products are compared with data from other works and with calculations using the ORIGEN-II code. Eleven of the 18 fission product values are found to be within 20% agreement with the calculated values. Deviations might be due to either an incorrect library file of cumulative fission product yields being used for the theoretical estimates, or to an overestimation of the thermal neutron flux during fuel rod irradiation. Results also indicate that although measurement of the 137Cs activity is an excellent indicator for burnup distribution, the cesium migration might lead to a misinterpretation of the data. Furthermore, the ratio of the activity of either 134Cs or 154Eu to 137Cs can eliminate the migratory effect and give a better approximation of burnup distribution along the axial direction of a spent-fuel rod.
