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Division Spotlight
Nuclear Nonproliferation Policy
The mission of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Policy Division (NNPD) is to promote the peaceful use of nuclear technology while simultaneously preventing the diversion and misuse of nuclear material and technology through appropriate safeguards and security, and promotion of nuclear nonproliferation policies. To achieve this mission, the objectives of the NNPD are to: Promote policy that discourages the proliferation of nuclear technology and material to inappropriate entities. Provide information to ANS members, the technical community at large, opinion leaders, and decision makers to improve their understanding of nuclear nonproliferation issues. Become a recognized technical resource on nuclear nonproliferation, safeguards, and security issues. Serve as the integration and coordination body for nuclear nonproliferation activities for the ANS. Work cooperatively with other ANS divisions to achieve these objective nonproliferation policies.
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.
