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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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General Kenneth Nichols and the Manhattan Project
Nichols
The Oak Ridger has published the latest in a series of articles about General Kenneth D. Nichols, the Manhattan Project, and the 1954 Atomic Energy Act. The series has been produced by Nichols’ grandniece Barbara Rogers Scollin and Oak Ridge (Tenn.) city historian David Ray Smith. Gen. Nichols (1907–2000) was the district engineer for the Manhattan Engineer District during the Manhattan Project.
As Smith and Scollin explain, Nichols “had supervision of the research and development connected with, and the design, construction, and operation of, all plants required to produce plutonium-239 and uranium-235, including the construction of the towns of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and Richland, Washington. The responsibility of his position was massive as he oversaw a workforce of both military and civilian personnel of approximately 125,000; his Oak Ridge office became the center of the wartime atomic energy’s activities.”
John M. Ryskamp, Douglas L. Selby, R. Trenton Primm III
Nuclear Technology | Volume 93 | Number 3 | March 1991 | Pages 330-349
Technical Paper | Fission Reactor | doi.org/10.13182/NT91-A34527
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The ongoing preconceptual and conceptual reactor design of the Advanced Neutron Source (ANS) is explored. The ANS is being designed for materials sciences, isotope production, and fundamental physics research. A reactor design based on previously developed technology can meet the performance requirements set by the user community for a new ANS to serve all fields of neutron science. These requirements include the capability of producing a peak thermal neutron flux over five times higher than that in use at any currently operating steady-state facility. Achievement of these ultrahigh flux levels involves many interesting aspects of reactor design. The reactor characteristics of the current preconceptual reference design are presented. The attainment of this design was reached by following a design strategy that best met the safety and user requirements. The design has evolved over the last 5 yr from two concepts proposed in 1985. The trade-offs and selection of many reactor parameters are described to illustrate how and why the current design was achieved. Further reactor design is planned, leading to an ANS operating by 1999 for use by scientists of many disciplines.
