ANS is committed to advancing, fostering, and promoting the development and application of nuclear sciences and technologies to benefit society.
Explore the many uses for nuclear science and its impact on energy, the environment, healthcare, food, and more.
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
Utility Working Conference and Vendor Technology Expo (UWC 2024)
August 4–7, 2024
Marco Island, FL|JW Marriott Marco Island
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!
Latest Magazine Issues
Jul 2024
Jan 2024
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
August 2024
Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
Vogtle-3 shuts down for valve issue
One of the new Vogtle units in Georgia was shut down unexpectedly on Monday last week for a valve issue that has since been investigated and repaired. According to multiple local news outlets, Georgia Power reported on July 17 that Unit 3 was back in service.
Southern Company spokesperson Jacob Hawkins confirmed that Vogtle-3 went off line at 9:25 p.m. local time on July 8 “due to lowering water levels in the steam generators caused by a valve issue on one of the three main feedwater pumps.”
Alessandra Cesana, Sara Tania Mongelli, Mario Terrani, Pietro Benetti, Elio Calligarich, Rinaldo Dolfini, Gian Luca Raselli
Nuclear Technology | Volume 148 | Number 1 | October 2004 | Pages 97-101
Technical Note | Fuel Cycle and Management | doi.org/10.13182/NT04-A3550
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Recently, it has been suggested to consider 242mAm as a potential nuclear fuel. This artificial nuclide can be produced through 241Am neutron capture carried on in a neutron field typical of a thermal reactor. In order to suppress the thermal neutron flux, which will cause 242mAm depletion mainly through fission, proper neutron filters should be adopted. In a very intense neutron field, the 242mAm enrichment depends mainly on the energy distribution of the neutrons, the sample thickness, and the cutoff energy of the neutron filter.An investigation on different geometries of the sample to be irradiated using Cd, B, Sm, and Gd as neutron filters has been carried out by means of Monte Carlo simulation. The most favorable results have been obtained irradiating thin 241Am samples (11 g/cm2) covered with a Gd (0.2-mm-thick) or Sm (1-mm-thick) filter. In these cases the theoretical 242mAm enrichment can reach 20%.The preparation of significant quantities of this unconventional nuclear fuel implies isotopic separation techniques operating in high radioactive environments and hopefully characterized by very high recovery factors, which are in no way trivial problems.