The nuclear criticality information system - progress and status of the system

The Nuclear Criticality Information System (NCIS) is an important part of the U.S. Department of Energy's criticality safety program. NCIS provides a means for widely distributed nuclear criticality specialists to communicate and work together instantly. Users of the system may receive assistance from all members of the growing NCIS community, which provides a much broader base of support than is available at any single site. When unified by NCIS, these diverse specialists provide a resource that has proven to be very useful in the safe handling of fissile material. NCIS also is a source of current nuclear criticality safety information; the rapid access of such up-to-date information on the handling of fissile materials outside of nuclear reactors is international in scope, extending beyond political and geographical boundaries. (author)