All posts tagged: Nuclear Physics

How do we know when something is about to go wrong?

How do we know when something is about to go wrong?

Published by skeptic

Machine learning is opening new possibilities for monitoring Small Modular Reactors using neutron noise The transition away from fossil fuels is one of the main challenges of this century. Electricity grids that have long depended on coal and natural gas need to be significantly decarbonised within a timeframe measured in decades, not generations. Renewable sources such as wind, solar, and hydropower are expanding rapidly, but their variable and location-dependent output means that alternative low-carbon generation will remain essential for grid stability at various locations. Nuclear power is the most established technology capable of filling that role on a large scale, and it is getting attention across many national energy policies as a result. Beyond electricity generation, nuclear reactors – and Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) in particular – also offer high potential for process heat, district heating, and hydrogen production, opening pathways to decarbonise heavy industries such as steel and petrochemicals. Within this renewed interest, a particular category of reactor design has emerged as a very attractive option: SMRs. SMRs are defined as reactors with an …

Mississippi State physicist creates neutron star reaction in the lab

Mississippi State physicist creates neutron star reaction in the lab

Published by Jenni Sidey

For years, physicists have wondered whether one unstable form of copper might act like a traffic jam inside some of the most violent explosions in the universe. That question matters because those explosions, called Type-I X-ray bursts, are part of the cosmic machinery that helps build heavier elements. Hydrogen and helium dominated the early universe. Much of what came later, including the oxygen in the air and the iron deep inside Earth, had to be forged in stars and stellar blasts. Now, a team led by Mississippi State physicist Jaspreet Randhawa has directly measured a key nuclear reaction tied to that process. The result suggests the suspected slowdown is much weaker than scientists feared. Therefore, heavier elements have a clearer path to form during explosive bursts on neutron stars. “The universe began almost entirely with hydrogen and helium,” Randhawa said. “Every heavier element, from the oxygen we breathe to the iron in Earth’s core, was forged later in stars and stellar explosions. By identifying how stellar explosions build heavier elements, scientists gain a clearer picture …

BWXT and ORNL partner to advance US uranium enrichment

BWXT and ORNL partner to advance US uranium enrichment

Published by skeptic

BWX Technologies and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have formalised a partnership aimed at strengthening domestic uranium enrichment capability for defence purposes. The organisations recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) outlining cooperation on the Domestic Uranium Enrichment Centrifuge Experiment, commonly known as DUECE. The initiative supports a broader effort by the Department of Energy to rebuild a reliable domestic supply of enriched uranium that can be used in national security missions. Federal officials have identified this capability as a priority as the United States seeks to reduce dependence on foreign enrichment services for sensitive defence-related materials. The agreement formalises the collaboration that has been developing around the DUECE project and establishes a framework for further research, engineering development, and the eventual deployment of the enrichment system. Commenting on the partnership, Stephen Streiffer, ORNL laboratory director, said: “This MOU solidifies our shared commitment to the DOE’s vital defence priorities by combining ORNL’s innovative centrifuge designs with BWXT’s proven industrial expertise. “Together, we’re restoring a capability the US hasn’t had since 2013 to enable a secure …

The mystery of nuclear ‘magic numbers’ has finally been resolved

The mystery of nuclear ‘magic numbers’ has finally been resolved

Published by skeptic

Some atoms seem to be particularly stable because of their numbers of protons and neutrons Shutterstock/ktsdesign A special set of numbers has formed the backbone of nuclear physics research for decades, and now we finally know how it arises from the quantum mix of nuclear particles and forces. Nearly 80 years ago, physicist Maria Goeppert Mayer showed that when the nucleus of an atom contains certain numbers of protons and neutrons, such as 50 or 82, it becomes exceptionally stable. In the years since, researchers amassed evidence of more such “magic numbers”, which are found in the most stable, and therefore most abundant, elements in our universe. Goeppert Mayer and her contemporaries explained these numbers by proposing that protons and neutrons occupy discrete energy levels, or shells. This model, which is still used to interpret many nuclear physics experiments, treats each particle in the nucleus as independent, but our best quantum theories assert that particles within nuclei actually interact strongly. Jiangming Yao at Sun Yat-sen University in China and his colleagues have now resolved this …

KTH wins Swedish Research Council grant for nuclear technology

KTH wins Swedish Research Council grant for nuclear technology

Published by skeptic

The Swedish Research Council has awarded 108 million SEK to research environments in nuclear technology at universities and colleges, including KTH. In August 2025, the Swedish Research Council issued a call for proposals entitled ‘Grants for research environments in nuclear technology’. A total of 15 applications were submitted to the Council, with four being approved. The aim is to build up activities and environments for basic research in nuclear technology at universities and colleges. The researchers and areas being developed at KTH are: Jonas Faleskog: Microstructural development, fatigue and fracture in metals from advanced manufacturing for long-term operation of nuclear reactors. Payam Pourmand: Safe lifetime extension in nuclear power: digital twins and AI for polymer ageing and non-destructive condition monitoring. Mats Jonsson: Radiation-induced processes in oxide-water interfaces. Establishing more advanced research environments across the nuclear industry The purpose of the research environment grant is to develop operations and environments for fundamental nuclear technology research. This initiative aims to establish larger, more advanced research environments with more active researchers, thereby attracting national and international researchers. It …

Where radiation measurement becomes knowledge

Where radiation measurement becomes knowledge

Published by skeptic

At Politecnico di Milano, radiation measurement becomes knowledge, from neutrons to ultrafast beams, from dosimetry to tomography, bridging fundamental research and real-world applications. Nuclear Measurements Laboratories (NMLs) focus on studying, applying, and developing methods to exploit or measure radiation fields of different types and properties. Based at Politecnico di Milano, NMLs transform neutrons, photons, and charged particles from ‘invisible agents’ into measurable, traceable information, supporting research, radiation protection, and nuclear applications. Most activities are funded through national and international projects and span spectrometry, dosimetry and microdosimetry of complex and mixed radiation fields, nuclear signal analysis, and the development of innovative detection systems and data workflows. Active neutron spectrometry in complex fields Neutrons represent a particularly demanding frontier, especially under extreme conditions such as those found in fusion facilities, high-energy radiation fields, or pulsed beam environments. The NMLs address these challenges by developing novel active neutron spectrometers, both isotropic and direction-sensitive, through an iterative cycle of advanced simulation (e.g., FLUKA-based modelling) and rigorous experimental validation. One illustrative example is DIAMON: a compact, direction-aware, isotropic, and active …

Safety and efficiency: Beam-intercepting devices

Safety and efficiency: Beam-intercepting devices

Published by skeptic

Marco Calviani, STI Group Deputy Head, Systems Department, Targets, Collimators and Dumps Section Leader at CERN, discusses the work of the team and the unique challenges they encounter in maintaining reliability and durability. AT CERN, the management and maintenance of beam-intercepting devices are crucial for ensuring both the safety and efficiency of the accelerator complex. This dedicated team collaborates closely with various teams across CERN, focusing on the entire lifecycle of these devices to develop innovative solutions. To learn more, The Innovation Platform’s Maddie Hall spoke with Marco Calviani about the work of the team, its importance for high-energy physics experiments and the unique challenges. Importance and functions of beam interception at CERN: Ensuring safety and efficiency in the accelerator complex A beam-intercepting device intercepts accelerated particle beams. This can be done for three main purposes: to produce particles, to protect sensitive equipment, and to safely dispose of particles produced during experiments. As part of a collaborative effort with a variety of teams at CERN, our team specialises in the entire lifecycle management of beam …

Assessment of liquid source term for accidental post management phase

Assessment of liquid source term for accidental post management phase

Published by skeptic

The EURATOM SOCRATES project investigates liquid source term phenomena in the context of severe nuclear power plant accidents, and develops innovative methods and computer models for liquid source term management. The ‘liquid source term’ refers to the radioactive materials that are present in various liquid pathways, such as the containment sump, the cooling water, or the groundwater, during and after a severe nuclear power plant (NPP) accident. Interest in this topic has grown significantly since the Fukushima Daiichi NPP accident, due to the challenges of treating large volumes of contaminated water and understanding the behaviour of radionuclides in the water. The EURATOM SOCRATES project (in 2024-2028) addresses critical gaps in understanding the liquid source term during severe nuclear accidents and provides innovative solutions to mitigate and monitor radionuclide releases into the environment. This is important for light water reactors of existing large nuclear power plants and for future small modular reactors (SMRs), which may be located near densely populated areas such as cities. Objectives By advancing scientific knowledge and technological capabilities, SOCRATES contributes to the …