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Filters applied: Earth & Coastal Sciences, Renewable Energy, Reactor Licensing, Fuel Cycle Research, Threat Analysis
DECEMBER 1, 2016
News Release

Where the Rains Come from

The temperature difference between the Southern Great Plains and the ocean produces winds that carry moisture from the Gulf of Mexico to the Great Plains, fueling more intense storms as the climate warms.
JUNE 20, 2016
Feature

Keeping Fast Reactor Steel in Shape

In fast-neutron reactors, fuel is sealed in ~7 millimeter diameter steel tubes called cladding. When a high-energy "fast" neutron strikes an atom in the steel, it can knock the atom out of place, like a cue ball striking another billiard ball. This leaves two types of damage in the metal: an empty spot where the atom was, and the displaced atom wedged between other atoms. Over time, these defects typically drive undesirable rearrangement of the microstructure, potentially reducing the life of the cladding.