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The associability of artificial intelligence (AI) as a dual-use technology for nuclear material production (NMP) within the academic and practitioner communities remains widely neglected, and so a widening opportunity for AI to aid in illicit and covert non-peaceful applications exists. To address this emerging gap, this paper investigates the evolving and applicable uses of AI and finds broad evidence of its use to optimize performance, promote innovation, reduce costs, and enhance safety associated with the development and production of nuclear material. AI's use in this arena will, thereby, facilitate broader accessibility of peaceful uses of nuclear science and technology, while at the same time cause concerns that said improvements can aid the illicit development of nuclear weapons. As such, this paper advocates for a three-dimensional solution to manage the evolving dual-use concern of AI that involves advancing states-centric monitoring and regulation, promoting intellectual exchange between the nonproliferation sector and the AI industry, and encouraging AI industrial contributions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Production processes become more and more complex in terms of engineering implementation. During the operation of equipment for nuclear power plants or research reactor facilities, it is advisable to consider big data volumes, their change dynamics and deviations from the normal state. The IRT-T reactor facility at the School of Nuclear Science and Technology in National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University, is used for machine learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer incidence and mortality is increasing rapidly worldwide, with a higher cancer burden observed in the Asia-Pacific region than in other regions. To date, evidence-based modelling of radiotherapy demand has been based on stage data from high-income countries (HIC) that do not account for the later stage at presentation seen in many low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We aimed to estimate the current and projected demand and supply in megavoltage radiotherapy machines in the Asia-Pacific region, using a national income-group adjusted model. Novel LMIC radiotherapy demand and outcome models were created by adjusting previously developed models that used HIC cancer staging data. These models were applied to the cancer case mix (ie, the incidence of each different cancer) in each LMIC in the Asia-Pacific region to estimate the current and projected optimal radiotherapy utilisation rate (ie, the proportion of cancer cases that would require radiotherapy on the basis of guideline recommendations), and to estimate the number of megavoltage machines needed in each country to meet this demand. Information on the number of megavoltage machines available in each country was retrieved from the Directory of Radiotherapy Centres. Gaps were determined by comparing the projected number of megavoltage machines needed with the number of machines available in each region. Megavoltage machine numbers, local control, and overall survival benefits were compared with previous data from 2012 and projected data for 2040. 57 countries within the Asia-Pacific region were included in the analysis with 9·48 million new cases of cancer in 2020, an increase of 2·66 million from 2012. Local control was 7·42% and overall survival was 3·05%. Across the Asia-Pacific overall, the current optimal radiotherapy utilisation rate is 49·10%, which means that 4·66 million people will need radiotherapy in 2020, an increase of 1·38 million (42%) from 2012. The number of megavoltage machines increased by 1261 (31%) between 2012 and 2020, but the demand for these machines increased by 3584 (42%). The Asia-Pacific region only has 43·9% of the megavoltage machines needed to meet demand, ranging from 9·9–40·5% in LMICs compared with 67·9% in HICs. 12 000 additional megavoltage machines will be needed to meet the projected demand for 2040. The difference between supply and demand with regard to megavoltage machine availability has continued to widen in LMICs over the past decade and is projected to worsen by 2040. The data from this study can be used to provide evidence for the need to incorporate radiotherapy in national cancer control plans and to inform governments and policy makers within the Asia-Pacific region regarding the urgent need for investment in this sector. The Regional Cooperative Agreement for Research, Development and Training Related to Nuclear Science and Technology for Asia and the Pacific (RCA) Regional Office (RCARP03). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Precise integral measurement of fast neutron-induced fission product yields for various actinides is of high interest for applied nuclear science. The goal of this effort is to improve uncertainties in fission product yield values of 239Pu. Fission was induced in a pure 239Pu (> 99 %) target using the Godiva IV critical assembly in burst mode. The irradiated sample was transferred to a high-resolution γ -ray detector within 45 minutes. γ -ray list mode data was collected from 45 minutes to 1 week after the irradiation. γ -ray spectroscopy was performed to analyze the time dependent γ -ray yields using an automated peak search algorithm to identify isotopes by their decay γ -ray energy and half-life. The initial activity for each isotope identified was used to calculate their fission product yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Precise integral measurement of fast neutron-induced fission product yields for various actinides is of high interest for applied nuclear science. The goal of this effort is to improve uncertainties in fission product yield values of 237Np. Fission was induced in a NpO 2 (NO 3) target using the Godiva IV critical assembly in burst mode. The irradiated sample was transferred to a high-resolution γ -ray detection setup within 50 minutes. γ -ray list mode data was collected from 50 minutes to 1 week after the irradiation. γ -ray spectroscopy was performed to analyze the time dependent γ -ray yields using an automated peak search algorithm to identify isotopes by their decay γ -ray energy and half-life. The initial activity for each isotope identified was used to calculate their fission product yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The number of national, institutional, and subject repositories of grey literature has increased dramatically over recent years. The Directory of Open Access Repositories (OpenDOAR) currently lists 5848 repositories, a 75% increase over the last five years. Most of these repositories hold grey literature of one type or another. The degree of development of these repositories is mixed, some are of questionable quality while others are exemplars, so it is useful to define what constitutes a well-developed repository. A well-developed repository can be seen as one that meets the needs of end users, as well as the interests of authors and sponsoring organizations. Characteristics, such as timeliness, openness, user-friendliness, accuracy, and completeness, are proposed as those which meet user and institutional needs and define the degree of development for a given repository. Timeliness refers to the speed at which materials in the scope of the repository are made available to the public. Openness is the degree to which material is accessible as well as shareable. User-friendliness is a subjective quality but is defined by the ease of use of the repository's user interface. Accuracy can be measured in many ways - the verisimilitude of metadata, the suitability of indexes and search results, the percentage of dead links to external resources such as full text, and other measures. Finally, completeness describes how well a repository encompasses its scope. The International Nuclear Information System (INIS) has been in operation since 1970 as a repository for grey and traditional literature in all areas of nuclear science and technology. It existed before the wide adoption of information management principles, and invented methods and workflows to fulfil its mission. Therefore, there are gaps between the ideal repository, embodied in the outlined characteristics, and the repository as it currently stands. These gaps are identified and solutions, as well as a plan for implementation, are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The detailed study of radioactive nuclei has resulted in opportunities for addressing many open questions in low-energy nuclear physics. For over three decades, the TwinSol separator at the University of Notre Dame has produced high-quality in-flight radioactive beams at low-energy for light isotopes that have been used in experiments aimed at nuclear structure, astrophysics, and fundamental symmetries studies. We have recently upgraded the TwinSol separator by adding additional elements: a dipole magnet, and a third solenoid. This new TriSol separator will improve the quality and purity of future radioactive beams. This improvement will enable the use of heavier beams and address beam contamination that has hindered past experiments. The current status of TriSol and its science program will be presented along with the role the TriSol program plays in the current landscape of nuclear physics user facilities. The TriSol program includes plans for studies of 11C(p , p)11C reaction for investigating the nature of the first stars, 14O(α , p)17F and its influence on reaction networks in X-ray bursts, the measurement of fusion reactions on Ne isotopes important for pycnonuclear reactions, precision half-life measurements for fundamental symmetries studies, and the use of TriSol as a magnetic spectrometer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The detection of heavy (A > 127), long-lived trace radionuclides using accelerator mass spectrometry requires accelerator systems with high mass resolution and detectors with high efficiency, timing and energy resolution, and resistance to degradation. At the University of Notre Dame's Nuclear Science Laboratory, a two-anode gas ionization detector, similar to others employed at ETH Zurich, Vienna, and the Australia National University, has been built to be used with a time-of-flight system. This new detector is more robust than the existing Si detector, with two high resolution Δ E segments. This work describes the detector design and modifications to the time-of-flight system, summarizes the observed performance, and provides comparisons to a Geant4 model. The energy resolution (9% for 44 MeV 238U beams) was found to be better than the existing Si detector and its larger acceptance contributed a factor of five improvement (from 4% to 20%) in transmission through the detection system for uranium beams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article considers the Soviet Union's successful efforts to employ more women specialists in nuclear science and technology, from the Bolshevik revolution in 1917 and the Soviet atomic bomb project to the Cold War and the present. Despite their contributions to building a Cold War military machine, women rarely reached the pinnacle of the scientific enterprise due to persistent views about their lesser capabilities as specialists. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, in a vastly changed social, political, and cultural climate, the claimed socialist equality of women gave way to more traditional views of their status in Russian society. For the nuclear enterprise, this change emerged in activities that had disappeared under communism such as the annual "Miss Atom" beauty pageant, a striking departure from Soviet attempts to involve women equally in science and technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of the AP-1000 design and of its precursor the AP-600 started in the aftermath of the Chernobyl event (1986) when the need came from the scientific and technological community for a resilient system against deliberate threats by humans. The "passive system" design concept became relevant. The first AP-1000 entered into operation around 3 decades after that event. This paper discusses the issue of how much the progress in nuclear science and technology since the end of the 1980s has affected the AP-1000 design. Five interconnected areas are identified: (1) reliability of passive systems, (2) scaling and uncertainty, (3) coupling between three-dimensional neutron physics and thermal hydraulics, (4) consideration of large-break loss-of-coolant accidents, and (5) simulation of instrumentation and control systems. All these areas are relevant for the AP-1000 and standard pressurized water reactors; however, the areas (1) and (2) have specific applicability for the AP-1000 and constitute the main concerns of this paper. The conclusion from qualitative investigation is that the safety demonstration of the AP-1000 did not take full benefit from progress in these areas, namely, inadequacies characterize the scaling database and the processes for determining the reliability of thermal-hydraulic passive systems did not receive proper attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nuclear Data Production System (NDPS), a fast neutron facility for nuclear science and applications, was constructed at the Rare Isotope Accelerator complex for ON-line experiments (RAON) in Korea. NDPS is designed to provide both white and quasi-monoenergetic neutrons using 98 MeV deuteron and 20 – 83 MeV proton beams with thick graphite and thin lithium targets, respectively. Neutron energy is determined by employing the Time-Of-Flight (TOF) technique, along with a pulsed deuteron (or proton) beam with a repetition rate of less than 200 kHz. Fast neutrons are produced in the target room and are guided to the TOF room through a 4 m long neutron collimator consisting of iron and 5% borated polyethylene. The neutron beam is monitored using a parallel plate avalanche counter (PPAC) and a micro-mesh gaseous (MICROMEGAS) detector installed in the TOF room, so as to measure the energy and the position of neutrons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Superallowed Transition Beta-Neutrino Decay Ion Coincidence Trap (St. Benedict) is currently under construction at the University of Notre Dame Nuclear Science Laboratory. It is designed to measure the beta-neutrino angular correlation parameter in superallowed mixed beta-decay transitions between mirror nuclei in order to extract the Fermi-to-Gamow Teller mixing ratio and test theoretical corrections entering in the determination of the V u d element of the Cabibbo–Kobayashi–Maskawa quark mixing matrix. St. Benedict includes a large volume gas catcher to thermalize the radioactive ion beam from TwinSol , a differentially-pumped extraction system, a radiofrequency quadrupole ion cooler and buncher, and a Paul trap for the observation and detection of the β decay products. The status of each of these components will be presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) with 53Mn has geological applications as a chronometer for exposure and burial times for discontinuously deposited sediments. It has also been used to search for evidence of recent supernovae events, and proposed as a proxy to monitor the variation in the galactic cosmic ray spectrum over time. The current sensitivity limit amongst active facilities is 53Mn/ 55Mn = 3 × 1 0 − 13 while a sensitivity of 53Mn/ 55Mn = 1 × 1 0 − 13 is necessary to fully exploit 53Mn's capabilities. At the University of Notre Dame's Nuclear Science Laboratory (NSL), a 10 MV tandem accelerator and a Browne–Buechner Spectrograph operated as a gas-filled magnet were used to separate 53Mn from 53Cr. Samples covering ranges of 53Mn/ 55Mn = 1 0 − 10 − 1 0 − 8 were measured for the first time at the NSL using various settings resulting in a background level of 53Mn/ 55Mn = 6. 2 (3) × 1 0 − 11 . Analysis of the results, descriptions of experimental settings, and further explorations will be presented in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to measure the quality of nuclear science and technology research using the scientometric indicators, like activity index, attractivity index and publication efficiency index. Design/methodology/approach: The present scientometric study is based on the bibliographic data extracted from the core collection of the Web of Science database from 1989 to 2019. The data was collected using the advanced search feature, with a search string of 28 related terms. The bibliographic data for all the journal articles, excluding all other formats, was downloaded for statistical analysis. Findings: The present study highlights the growth pattern and the research efforts devoted to the field of nuclear science and technology worldwide, as reflected through the Core Collection of the Web of Science database, for 31 years from 1989 to 2019. The USA has emerged as the topmost producer, with a total share of almost 29% with respect to the world literature followed by Japan, Germany, France and UK. However, the relative citation impact has been the highest for Netherlands followed by the USA, Germany, France and UK, respectively. The study depicted that the activity index, also called as the relative performance indicator, has been the highest for the USA, whereas the attractivity index has been the highest for China, indicating its dominance in attracting citations to its publications in the field of nuclear science and technology. The publication efficiency index, the value has been the maximum for Iran, for which the value has been greater than 1 (1.618). The measure suggests that Iran's research effectiveness in the field of nuclear science and technology has been more than the research effort devoted to the field. Research limitations/implications: The paper was based on the data retrieved from a single database, and the results may vary across other databases. Hence, caution should be taken while generalizing the findings. Originality/value: Several scientometric studies have taken place in the field of nuclear science and technology, particularly in its allied branches, but none of the studies has focused on evaluating the research efforts carried out by the countries in terms of activity index, attractivity index and publication efficiency index, and the present study is an attempt to fill the gap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neutron-induced uranium fission reactions play an essential role in advanced nuclear energy research, basic and applied nuclear science. Based on the China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS) Back-streaming white neutron source (Back-n), the measurement of the 236,238U fission cross sections relative to 235U from the threshold to 200 MeV was carried out by using time-of-flight (TOF) method with a multi-cell fast fission ionization chamber in double-bunch mode. The TOF spectra in double-bunch mode were unfolded by using Bayesian method. The fission cross section ratios of 238U/235U and 236U/235U were obtained. The experimental data of the 236,238U/235U fission cross section ratios measured in single-bunch mode were re-analyzed in high energy region and the upper limit was extended to 200 MeV for comparison. The experimental results in double-bunch mode are in good agreement with those in single-bunch mode and the main evaluation data within experimental uncertainties. The 236,238U(n,f) cross sections were obtained from the measured ratios and the standard 235U(n,f) cross sections and they agree well with the theoretical calculation, previous experiments, main evaluations and IAEA NDS. The experimental results can provide technical support for further experimental researches in double-bunch mode and relevant nuclear data evaluations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermal neutron scattering laws are important nuclear data for many nuclear science and engineering applications. Validation helps to ensure that a thermal neutron scattering law has a high quality and often employs critical benchmarks as integral experiments. Recently, pulsed-neutron die-away benchmarks have been used as an experiment to validate thermal neutron scattering laws. Herein, we evidence how this alternative integral experiment has a high sensitivity to these nuclear data by performing an uncertainty quantification analysis. The analysis randomly sampled the nuclear model parameters associated with hydrogen bound in light water thermal neutron scattering law and sampled other nuclear data that influenced the experiment's integral parameter (e.g., elastic scattering, absorption in hydrogen and oxygen) from their respective covariance matrices. The thermal neutron scattering law caused an uncertainty in the integral parameter that reached 2.67%, which exceeds by an order of magnitude the uncertainties induced in commonly used thermal solution critical benchmarks. The validation performed here, although limited due to a poor description of the historical experiment, indicated that the ENDF/B-VIII.0 thermal neutron scattering law well predicted the integral parameter. These results motivate further benchmark and validation efforts using pulsed-neutron die-away experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

41Ca (t 1/2 = 9.94 × 104 yrs) is an important stellar radionuclide and its production in the Early Solar System from various irradiation scenarios can help determine the viability of models of early stellar processes. A novel reaction technique has been under development and recently tested at the Nuclear Science Laboratory at the University of Notre Dame. This technique utilizes an "in-cathode" reaction method, where natural CaF 2 material is packed into an ion source sample holder (cathode) and then irradiated and subsequently measured using Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) without the need for chemical processing afterward. The setup for the irradiation was performed using a 3He beam to measure the reaction natCa(3He,x)41Ca. Initial AMS results suggest additional complexity due to ion source sputtering rates and geometry, which will need to be explored further. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission TRIGA Research Reactor (BTRR) is a MK II type nuclear research reactor with a maximum thermal output power of 3 MW. Nuclear research/test reactors are designed for the development of nuclear science and technology including all necessary safety features. Safety issues are the prime concern for nuclear reactors to protect the nuclear accidents. BTRR has several passive and engineered safety features against any accidental failure of its control mechanisms leading to the meltdown of the reactor core or any other nuclear incident/accident. The nuclear percent power channel (NPP-1000) is one of the vital parts of the safety systems of the BTRR. Suddenly, the Instrumentation and Control (I&C) system of BTRR is tripped with a system SCRAM message "NPP HV Low". As a safety system, it is very compulsory to resolve the occurred uncertain issue before going to further reactor operation. To solve that kind of unwanted problem, effective troubleshooting steps were taken very carefully. Circuit analysis showed that a fault transistor was found inside the "HV trip circuit". By replacing this transistor with a good one, the corresponding relay is now functioning successfully and the "NPP HV low trip" condition as well as the "trip alarm" have been removed from the I&C system. Several types of experiments, research and training are now going on using this Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC) TRIGA Research Reactor facility by ensuring proper safety. Different troubleshooting experiences provide various strategies which are helpful for resolving many upcoming problems and also enrich the problem analyzing ability for further known or unknown tasks". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the scope of Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) expands, there is an increased need to extend the capability of isobaric separation to the medium-heavy mass region. Existing AMS facilities are limited in their ability to separate radioactive nuclei in the A = 100–200 range of interest from their neighboring stable isobars, as such measurements require higher energies than available in most facilities. ATLAS is one of the highest energy system used for AMS based experiments and has enabled isobaric discrimination for medium to heavy nuclides, notably via the Gas-Filled Magnet technique. A preparatory experiment performed in November, 2019, successfully demonstrated isobaric separation of 92Zr-92Mo using the Argonne Gas-Filled Analyzer (AGFA) with high magnetic rigidity. Since that time, MONICA, an eight-anode ionization chamber that measures both energy loss and position with two sets of split anodes, has been developed to aid in AMS experiments at AGFA and has undergone four commissioning runs at the Nuclear Science Laboratory at the University of Notre Dame utilizing Si, Fe/Ni, and Mn beams. This report presents the AGFA AMS run (November 2019) and the subsequent commissioning runs of the MONICA detector, including preliminary measurements on the long-lived isotopes 39Ar (268 y) and for the first time on 42Ar (33 y). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inter-University Accelerator Centre (IUAC) came into existence as Nuclear Science Centre in 1984. A 15UD Pelletron accelerator was installed and it started delivering accelerated charged particle beams in 1991. Various experimental research facilities were set up in parallel at the Centre. All these facilities have been and are being extensively used by scholars and researchers from various universities and institutes in India. Research activities in nuclear physics, materials science and other inter-disciplinary fields are the main thrust at the laboratory. Nuclear physics research carried out at IUAC has made an indelible mark in the understanding of nuclear structure and nuclear reaction dynamics using heavy ion beams at near and above Coulomb barrier energy region. This review article presents the details of the various experimental facilities and highlights of research contributions in nuclear reactions and nuclear structure, spanning three decades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ion beams from oxygen to uranium contribute to research for applications and fundamental nuclear science at a new DOE user facility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jeanne Tiehen's I The Theatre of Nuclear Science: Weapons, Power, and the Scientists behind it All i theoretically investigates theatrical representations of nuclear science. Writing during the pandemic, Tiehen connects nuclear weapons and their possible dangers to the overwhelming pandemonium, such as a lack of testing, vaccination hesitation, and the rejection of scientific expertise. Students and scholars of theatre, politics, and literature interested in the landscapes of nuclear science plays will find this an excellent book. [Extracted from the article]

The United States nuclear science community has adopted a new Long Range Plan (LRP) that outlines the most compelling scientific opportunities for the U.S. nuclear physics program over the next decade. The plan, titled "A New Era of Discovery," emphasizes the importance of increasing research budgets, supporting theoretical and experimental research, and creating a safe and respectful environment for all. The plan also recommends leading an international consortium to undertake a neutrinoless double beta decay campaign, completing the Electron-Ion Collider (EIC) as a facility construction priority, and investing in additional projects and new strategic opportunities. The plan was developed through a collaborative process involving town meetings, white papers, and committee discussions. [Extracted from the article]

The paper presents the concept and characteristics of nuclear security, the elements of the nuclear safety strategy, the legislative framework and the most important solutions from the Law on Radiation and Nuclear Safety and Security. At the international level, the most important entity in this field is the International Atomic Energy Agency, while at the national level, most important is the Directorate for Radiation and Nuclear Safety and Security of Serbia. An important role is played by the Vinca Institute of Nuclear Sciences as the most referential scientific institution in this field, as well as the operational bodies - Nuclear Facilities of Serbia, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ministry of Defence, and the Serbian Armed Forces. Engagement of these bodies is carried out in regular peacetime circumstances, emergency situations and wartime. The most important challenges, risks and threats to nuclear security of Serbia were pointed out as well as the need to harmonize norms, procedures and processes in purpose of the strengthening institutional mechanisms in the field of nuclear security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of radiation and radioisotopes in human healthcare has been one of the early developments in the non-power applications of nuclear science. The field encompasses different facets of the use of radiation in the diagnosis and therapy of a wide variety of diseases, particularly cancer, the formidable challenge of the present century. There has been a significant advancement in different areas such as diagnostic radiology, diagnostic nuclear medicine, therapeutic radiation and therapeutic nuclear medicine, including theranostic applications in personalized medicine. The R&D efforts of the Department of Atomic Energy towards ensuring indigenous availability of established radiopharmaceuticals and treatment modalities as well as to develop emerging ones for state-of-the-art radiation-related services have been significant over the years. This article presents the current status, recent developments, clinical translation of developed products and prospects related to the use of radioisotopes and radiation in the two premiere research institutions of DAE, viz. BARC and TMC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Training School was established to build research and development personnel for the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) in a manner that does not drain away senior persons from the universities, but on the contrary, gives training, employment and opportunities to young graduates passing out of universities. Graduates of the Training School have made India fully competent in all aspects of nuclear science, technology and their applications, and have also contributed to several major scientific and technological efforts outside the ambit of atomic energy. Several educational programmes have been nurtured by the institutions set up by DAE and this has enabled the Department to set up the Homi Bhabha National Institute, a Deemed to be University, and further expand the educational programmes and intensify research and innovation through the medium of research students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemistry is omnipresent in nuclear energy programmes all over the world. From the isolation and fabrication of fuel to the development of non-fuel materials and important nuclear processes, chemistry has played a crucial role. This article outlines the remarkable contribution that chemistry has made to the development of India's nuclear science programme. After a general introduction that deals with the inception and diversification of chemistry in the Department of Atomic Energy and some initial milestone achievements, a few notable contributions at BARC and IGCAR have been discussed in detail. These include the contribution of chemistry towards the front-end and back-end of the nuclear fuel cycle, nuclear safety, radiation chemistry and chemical innovations catering to the needs of society. Each subsection also includes possible future developments in the fields necessary for a sustainable nuclear energy programme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article surveys the impact of Homi Bhabha's visionary initiatives in the area of electronics in India. We begin by surveying the early years at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai and the Atomic Energy Establishment at Trombay that nucleated these activities and gave shape to Bhabha's conviction on the importance of electronics for the growth of science and technology and nuclear energy in the country. We trace the evolution of indigenous technology in the areas of nuclear electronics, instrumentation and control systems for nuclear power plants, and assess their impact. This is followed by a review of the role of the Electronics Corporation of India Ltd in the growth of indigenous electronics in the country. We conclude with an appraisal of the current state of electronics in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tritiated titanium targets were irradiated by the short-pulse OMEGA EP laser (1.25 kJ, 10 ps) to generate a laser-accelerated pulsed beam of tritons by target normal sheath acceleration. Using a Thomson parabola, the beam was found to contain 1012 tritons per pulse, with a mean energy of 2.2 MeV and an exponential tail reaching up to 10 MeV. In a separate experiment, the triton beam was directed onto a secondary deuterated polyethylene (CD) target to induce deuterium–tritium (D–T) nuclear reactions. Using neutron time-of-flight spectrometers, approximately 108 D–T fusion neutrons were observed per laser pulse. This triton beam presents new research opportunities for the study of the 3H(t, 2n)4He reaction and di-neutron transfers to lithium and beryllium that may produce exotic neutron-rich nuclei of interest to basic nuclear science, astrophysics, and inertial confinement fusion technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The world's first accelerator based epithermal neutron source for clinical boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) was designed, developed, and commissioned between 2008 and 2010 by Sumitomo Heavy Industries in collaboration with Kyoto University at the Kyoto University Institute for Integrated Radiation and Nuclear Science. The accelerator system is cyclotron-based and accelerates a proton up to an energy of approximately 30 MeV. The proton strikes a beryllium target, which produces fast neutrons that traverse a beam shaping assembly composed of a combination of lead, iron, aluminum, and calcium fluoride to reduce the neutron energy down to the epithermal range (∼10 keV) suitable for BNCT. The system is designed to produce an epithermal neutron flux of up to 1.4 × 10 9 n · cm − 2 · s − 1 (exiting from the moderator of a 12 cm diameter collimator) with a proton current of 1 mA. In 2017, the same type of accelerator was installed at the Kansai BNCT Medical Center and in March 2020 the system received medical device approval in Japan (Sumitomo Heavy Industries, NeuCure® BNCT system). Soon after, BNCT for unresectable, locally advanced, and recurrent carcinoma of the head and neck region was approved by the Japanese government for reimbursement covered by the national health insurance system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The National Center for Energy, Sciences and Nuclear Techniques (CNESTEN)’s Training Research and Isotope Production General Atomics (TRIGA) Mark II is a pool-type light water moderated and cooled research reactor operating at a maximum steady state thermal power of 2 MW. The reactor was designed to be used as a training facility for reactor operators, neutron activation analysis, isotopes production, and for implementing different reactor physics experiments. This article deals with the numerical and experimental characterization of reaction rates (RRs) in different irradiation channels inside the CNESTEN’s TRIGA Mark II research reactor, located in Rabat/Morocco. The main objective of this study is to validate the calculated neutron RRs against the measured ones and to prove that the new TRIPOLI-4 model of the reactor is capable to reproduce the measured quantities. Therefore, the measurements were carried out using the neutron activation technique and gamma spectrometry measurements. Preliminary simulations were performed with TRIPOLI-4 transport Monte Carlo code to establish the experimental design and set up for activation foils experiments. The selected set of foils with known characteristics were irradiated, at different power levels, inside the irradiation facilities of the TRIGA reactor. The resulting activities were evaluated via $\gamma $ spectrometry measurements. Normalized calculated and measured RRs were compared, and a good agreement was shown for most nuclides, which indicates that the new detailed TRIPOLI-4 model of the TRIGA reactor can accurately predict the relative experimental RRs values. Further work is ongoing to analyze absolute RR values, as well as to carry measurements in other irradiation channels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern advancements in computing power and the ability of machine learning (ML) to model complex relationships between input and output have opened new prospects for data processing. This ML technology finds applications in nuclear and radiological sciences to extract meaningful information from data and drive intelligent decision-making. The literature review performed in the present manuscript encompasses key areas, including nuclear power, nuclear security, international safeguards, and the use of radiological sciences in healthcare. The applications discussed range from predictive modeling of nuclear processes to enhancing image reconstruction and analysis in medical imaging. The article also focuses on highlighting key studies and methodologies, offering a demonstration of various ML models in handling the unique challenges posed by nuclear and radiological data. The goal is to provide a comprehensive review, which can serve as a guide for researchers, providing a deeper understanding of the impact and potential of ML in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate estimation of nuclear masses and their prediction beyond the experimentally explored domains of the nuclear landscape are crucial to an understanding of the fundamental origin of nuclear properties and to many applications of nuclear science, most notably in quantifying the r -process of stellar nucleosynthesis. Neural networks have been applied with some success to the prediction of nuclear masses, but they are known to have shortcomings in application to extrapolation tasks. In this work, we propose and explore a novel type of neural network for mass prediction in which the usual neuron-like processing units are replaced by complex-valued product units that permit multiplicative couplings of inputs to be learned from the input data. This generalized network model is tested on both interpolation and extrapolation data sets drawn from the Atomic Mass Evaluation. Its performance is compared with that of common neural-network architectures, substantiating its suitability for nuclear-mass prediction. Additionally, a prediction-uncertainty measure for such complex-valued networks is proposed that allows identifying nuclides of expected large prediction error. Within and beyond the experimentally explored domain, model predictions are evaluated by computing deviations from the Garvey-Kelson relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]