Assessing the historical water quality of the Lake Victoria Basin during the Late Pleistocene-Holocene epochs holds paramount importance in deciphering forthcoming climate changes and is crucial for accurately interpreting basin dynamics. The prehistoric lacustrine deposits in the Lake Victoria basin are invaluable as they serve as a unique repository of sedimentary records spanning across...
We present a rationale, including science case for the PAUL and discuss the opportunity to establish the PAUL in the Huguenot Tunnel in the Du Toitskloof Mountains, between Paarl and Worcester, Western Cape, South Africa. The PAUL concept design, proposed science programme, engineering design guidelines and timelines are presented.
Science outreach aims at increasing the public understanding of science by engagement with its practitioners. In this talk I will outline the nature of scientific outreach, its various forms and present some useful strategies. I also argue for the importance of science outreach for the development of science professionals and for improving representation and diversity.
The electric-dipole (E1) strength plays a crucial role in understanding photoabsorption reactions, offering insights into nuclear structure, excitations, and responses to external fields. While extensively studied in heavy nuclei (A > 90), lighter nuclei (A < 60) present unique challenges due to factors like clustering effects, deformation, and nucleon pairing. These complexities hinder...
The observation of γ-ray decays from the radioactive isotope $^{44}$Ti makes it one of the significant isotopes in the diagnosis of core-collapse supernovae (CCSNe) explosions. The abundance of 44Ti from CCSNe explosions has been shown to be strongly dependent on the $^{44}$Ti($\alpha,p$)$^{47}$V reaction rate, which destroys $^{44}$Ti. Direct measurements of the $^{44}$Ti($\alpha,p$) 47V...
The endeavor to expand the research capabilities of the high-resolution K600 magnetic spectrometer at iThemba LABS has been in progress for a number of years. The primary objective is to develop a novel focal-plane detector capable of detecting light ions at energies below ~30 MeV/u and heavier elements like 12C. Extensive efforts have been dedicated to the development of this envisioned...
Positron Emission particle tracking (PEPT) is a non-invasive nuclear imaging technique used to investigate the dynamics of opaque granular and multiphase flowing systems. The basis of PEPT is to attach a sufficient positron emitting isotope to a selected particle to act as a representative of the bulk material under study for a system of interest. The resultant gamma photon pairs produced by...
Conventional positron emission tomography (PET) scanners use a front-end analogue acquisition pipeline to determine position, energy, and time of arrival for each event. The pipeline operates in real time with processing and event selection occurring at MHz rates. Although this linear approach scales well to large arrays of detectors operating in parallel, much of the available information is...
Positron emission particle tracking (PEPT) is used to track the motion of tracer particles in the mineral separation process of froth flotation. Previous measurements with PEPT were performed at a target location rate of 1.0 kHz due to the 1.0 ms precision of the timestamp recorded by the Siemens ECAT “EXACT3D” HR++ positron emission tomography (PET) scanner at the PEPT Cape Town facility in...
The non-destructive testing of concrete used in nuclear facilities is critical as the concrete is exposed to various unfavourable conditions such as corrosion, radiation, extremely varying temperatures, and cyclic loadings over its lifetime. Such exposure can lead to concrete deterioration and moisture loss, thus compromising the shielding and structural integrity of the concrete [1, 2]. This...
Developing methods to non-destructively determine the elemental composition of bulk materials is important in a broad range of contexts, including food and agriculture, coal and minerals processing, contraband detection, and nuclear regulation [1,2]. Neutron-based techniques are advantageous as neutrons are highly penetrating, sensitive to low mass nuclei and produce characteristic secondary...
Organic liquid scintillator detectors such as those based on BC-501A are widely used by metrology laboratories as the reference for measurements of fast and high-energy neutron fields, however these scintillators are composed of highly toxic, flammable, and volatile aromatics. These detectors are coupled with a high-voltage photomultiplier tube, NIM standard pulse processing modules and an...
There has been a high level of interest across the world in the use of well-characterized neutron beams of energy 10-200 MeV for investigating physical problems connected with radiation therapy, radiation protection and intermediate-energy nuclear physics and neutron cross section measurements that span a wide range of applications. Experiments in these fields often require that the neutron...
Metrological and Applied Sciences University Research Unit (MeASURe), Department of Physics, University of Cape Town
The University of Cape Town recently declared its intention to “design the technical specifications and business case for a proton therapy centre to be established in Cape Town, near to both the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital and Groote Schuur Hospital.”...
Fast neutron fields, such as those present in aviation, space, and nuclear research environments, pose significant biological risk. New detectors are being developed for the purpose of monitoring these fields up to 20 MeV. The detectors are made from EJ-276 plastic scintillator in novel geometries coupled to one or more silicon photomultipliers, using digital pulse acquisition and processing. ...
The primary radiation environment in space consists of a complex mixture of charged particles with a broad range of energies originating from our Sun and from outside of our solar system. Neutrons with energies of up to several TeV are produced through the interactions of this primary cosmic radiation with matter, such as that in spacecraft shielding, and in the atmospheres and regoliths of...
Prompt gamma rays (PGs) produced by nuclear collisions during proton therapy (PT) can be used for in vivo proton beam range verification through a technique known as prompt gamma imaging (PGI). During PT, the production of PGs within the tissue provides a reliable location map for the proton dose deposition. The detection of these PGs using a Compton Camera (CC) can be used to construct a...
Inelastic scattering of alpha particles at ≥ 200 MeV, especially at very forward angles including 0◦, stands out as a robust technique for probing the strength distribution of the isoscalar giant monopole resonance (ISGMR) in atomic nuclei. Due to contradicting results concerning the isotopic trend of the nuclear incompressibility within the calcium isotopic chain, a dedicated study of the...
A neutron star is one of the possible end states of a massive star. It is compressed by gravity and stabilized by the nuclear degeneracy pressure. Despite its name, the composition of these objects is not exactly known. However, from the inferred densities, neutrons will most likely compose a significant fraction of the star’s interior. While all neutron stars are expected to have a...
Relatively to the atomic constituents’ counterparts, the neutron is singular as it is sensitive to the four fundamental interactions: strong, weak, electromagnetic, and gravitational. This multi-sensitivity makes neutron wave-matter optics a particularly versatile tool for testing quantum mechanics specifically and fundamental physics concepts in general. The lifetime of a free neutron defined...
Some decent physics has already been realised by the FOBOS group at the JINR. This includes the confirmation of a rare ternary decay mode in low excited heavy nuclei referred to as Collinear Cluster Tri-partition (CCT). During the experiments, the challenges of background noise in the experimental area which generated from the MT-25 microtron were addressed with radiation shielding. However,...
Geant4 is among the most widely used toolkit today in the simulation of the interaction of radiation with matter. It uses Monte Carlo methods and its areas of application includes high energy, nuclear and accelerator physics, as well as medical and space science. It heavily relies on objected oriented C++ programming language. Because of its complex nature, this platform can be a steep...
The lecture will focus on the crucial role of nuclear data in advancing our comprehension of fundamental nuclear phenomena, focusing on nuclear properties and deformation. It provides an overview of available nuclear properties and methods to access them, highlighting the significance of understanding nuclear deformation.
Exposure to heavy metals and natural radionuclides through various means can dispose mankind to deterioration of health. It is essential and of great importance to monitor environmental radiation level and understand the consequences of radiation exposure for ecological conservation and human health. Aero-radiometric data collected from Nigeria Geological Survey Agency (NGSA) for selected...
A mobile radiation detection unit (MRDU) featuring a 2”x2” LaBr3:Ce detector was developed for real-time radiation monitoring in terrestrial environments. The detector underwent calibration for energy, resolution, and efficiency using standard point sources at iThemba LABS and standard calibration pads at NECSA. Subsequent environmental measurements were conducted at two distinct sites: The...
Mining exploration usually involves drilling and sometimes excavations to visually the core. The study assessed whether excavations at the A-Cap Uranium mine lease area had the potential to cause a rise in background levels within the mining site. The Inspector 1000 digital multichannel handheld survey meter and the Mobile Radiation Detection Unit - a LaBr3(Ce) detector in a backpack geometry,...
Studying the structure of the nucleus at the frontiers of nuclear stability presents a number of difficult challenges. The advent of radioactive ion-beam facilities has required a step change in the sensitivity of the nuclear instrumentation required to study the expected new and exciting nuclear phenomena. The detection of gamma radiation is at the heart of nuclear structure physics...
- Introductory Lecture
- Activity Calculations (where students will need access to Excel)
Overview
- SDGs
-- Global priority areas
-IAEA Country framework
-- Global perspective on African solutions
- Local issues
-- Rivers/dams/water security
-- Climate change
-- Energy at the domestic scale
-- Water purification at the domestic scale
List big ideas and prioritise
Breakaway sessions
Overview of the radiocarbon method applications
Lab processes
Data handling workshop
Nuclear technology presents both opportunities and challenges for countries seeking to meet their growing energy demands and advance scientific research. While nuclear technology offers the potential for clean, reliable, and sustainable power generation and advancements in various sectors, its deployment necessitates a robust framework for safety and security to mitigate potential risks. In...
The first step in a series of actions after installing new software and hardware in a Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA) laboratory is the calibration of the spectrometer besides the characterization of the reactor’s irradiation channels. This must be done before any routine spectral analysis could be done using the k0-NAA Standardization Method. For the Nigeria Research Reactor-1 (NIRR-1)...
The Portable African Neutron-Gamma Laboratory for Innovative Nuclear Science project has seen the characterization of a number of new detectors using reference radioactive gamma and neutron sources. These detectors will be used for two primary projects, namely as an upgrade to the existing mobile gamma-ray and neutron detection unit and as a two-stage Compton camera prototype for a...
The mention of the word nuclear still scares off a large number of people, however on a day to day basis, members of the public get to experience the benefits of nuclear technology. There are various applications of nuclear science that are fundamental to human’s livelihood, environment and the climate. Application of nuclear science can be found in the medical fraternity (Nuclear technology...
The Low Energy Radioactive-Ion Beam (LERIB) project at iThemba LABS aims to produce radioactive-ion beams of up to 60 keV energy using the ISOL method. It is centered around a target-ion/ion-source or "Front-End" that is identical to the SPES front-end at Legnaro, Italy, which in turn is derived from the ISOLDE front-end at CERN. The iThemba LABS front-end is presently being worked-up in an...
The presence of both well-deformed prolate and oblate deformations is expected in the $A\approx70$ mass region because of the surprisingly large single-particle energy gaps at $N=34$. Nonetheless, oblate deformations in this region have mostly been inferred from rotational bands ($^{68}$Se [1]) or model-dependent decay measurements ($^{72}$Kr [2]). Only recently, Coulomb-excitation...
This study aims to investigate fine structure of the isovector giant dipole resonance (IVGDR) in open-shell calcium isotopes and the effect of neutron excess in the sd-shell configurations. This will allow for disentangling the origin of damping mechanisms with considerations of different theoretical model calculations beyond Random Phase Approximation (RPA). The IVGDR was excited in 42,44Ca...
The IsoVector Giant Dipole Resonance (IVGDR) has far-reaching implications in nuclear physics. Experimental GDR data have been obtained using various techniques including photo-nuclear measurements with photons from Bremsstrahlung and quasi-monoenergetic photons from positron annihilation in flight and Laser Compton Scattering, but also using proton inelastic scattering. While good agreement...
The Low-energy Nuclear Astrophysics Beamline at the Tandetron facility, iThemba LABS, is designed to study indirectly radiative capture reactions through measurements of statistical properties. These reactions involve the capture of a charged particle, either a proton or an $\alpha$-particle, by the nucleus, resulting in the emission of gamma-ray photons. This process plays a pivotal role in...
The development of scintillator detectors e.g. LaBr3(Ce) which have excellent timing resolution (FWHM ~300 ps @ 511 keV) and reasonable energy resolution (~25 keV @ 511 keV) has led to a resurgence in experiments to measure lifetimes of excited nuclear levels in the ps to ns regime. The FATIMA (= FAstTIMingArray) array is a system of 36 LaBr3(Ce) detectors built for use at the Facility for...
At iThemba LABS, the Radiation Biophysics division forms part of the Separated Sector Cyclotron Laboratory and consists of two subgroups: Medical Physics and Radiobiology. Research in the Biophysics division is divided into three main areas: Medical physics, Radiation protection and Cancer research. In Medical Physics, research is focused on developing microdosimetry protocols and equipment...
IEEE, the world's largest technical professional organization, offers numerous benefits to its members and encourages active participation through volunteering. With a vast global network of over 460,000 members across 190 countries, IEEE facilitates international collaboration, knowledge exchange, and continuous learning. Through conferences, a comprehensive digital library, and prestigious...
Abstract:
The paper presents some results of modelling dispersed radionuclide Cs-137 in a specific urban area in front of one of Prague's shopping centres and the nearby university complex. The software ESTE was used to assess the activity of spreading contaminated air in terms of parameters from which radiation exposure of people affected could be calculated. The computer simulation proved a...
Linear accelerator (LINAC) photon beams are widely used in radiation therapy. Understanding the characteristics of a LINAC photon beam is important to ensure accurate and effective treatment delivery. Photon beams interact with matter in di?erent forms (i.e photoelectric e?ect, compton scatter and pair production) depending on the energy of the photon beam. All these interaction mechanisms...
The growing industrial hub of Matsapha, Eswatini, presents a double-edged sword. While it fuels economic progress, concerns loom regarding its impact on the precious natural water resources. This study delves into the environmental consequences of industrialization on the water quality of Matsapha’s rivers and streams. Utilizing the Water Quality Index (WQI) as a comprehensive assessment tool,...
As far as nucleosynthesis or element formation is concerned, almost all the nuclei heavier than iron have been made in part by the slow neutron capture and the rapid neutron capture processes (≈ 50% each), respectively known as the s- and r- processes [1].
The neutron capture reactions 192Ir(n,γ)193Ir and 193Ir(n,γ)194Ir are indirectly studied by analysing data obtained from the Oslo...
The detection of odours emitted by meat products when they start to spoil remains a challenge. In response to this, materials of ZnO decorated with palladium nanoparticle was synthesised using the hydrothermal method for the purpose of testing its gas sensing properties. After the synthesis of these nanoparticles, various characterization techniques for the investigation of both physical and...
This projects intends to provide an empirical information on all even-even rotating nuclei, in order todetermine whether they are axially symmetric or triaxil. This is a new idea which the analysis is based entirely on expirimental data and is called coriolis analysis. The coriolis analysis is based on an analysis of the plots of the gamma ray energies(of transitions that belong to a...
Jozef Sabol, David Dlouhý, Jan Nejedlý
Police Academy of the Czech Republic, P.O. Box 54, 143 00 Prague 12, Czech Republic
(presenter, sabol@polac.cz)
Abstract:
It is crucial to communicate clearly and understandably the information on safeguarding against potential threats posed by CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear) agents to the general population. This approach is...
