BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//CERN//INDICO//EN
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:A new 30 MeV cyclotron facility for radioisotopes and research
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20260521T102000Z
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20260521T104000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20260624T075800Z
UID:indico-contribution-654-3849@indico.tlabs.ac.za
DESCRIPTION:Speakers: Andy Buffler (UCT)\nThe UCT Proton Therapy Initiativ
 e has as its primary goal the re-establishment of a proton therapy facilit
 y in Cape Town. In addition\, the project aims to establish a complementar
 y facility featuring a 30 MeV cyclotron capable of proton\, deuteron and a
 lpha-particle beams. This new facility will manufacture a range of short a
 nd longer-lived radioisotopes and related products that complement those a
 lready available from the NRF's iThemba LABS\, and other cyclotron facilit
 ies in the region. In particular the production of radioisotopes situatabl
 e for Targeted Alpha Therapy for cancer is of particular interest.  Beyond
  radioisotope production for medical use\, the new 30 MeV facility will al
 so provide a unique platform for fundamental and applied nuclear physics r
 esearch in the mid-energy range\, complementing higher-energy research at 
 iThemba LABS. A dedicated research vault will include dual beamlines: one 
 for charged-particles\, and one for neutron production\, optimised for tim
 e-of-flight (TOF) measurements. Together\, these beamlines will support\, 
 for example\, activation and radiation damage studies\, radiobiology\, and
  instrumentation development with applications across fundamental science\
 , metrology\, engineering\, medicine\, and industry.\n\nI provide a status
  report on this project and seed an audience discussion on the design of t
 he facility and how it might best serve the broadest user base in South Af
 rica.\n\nhttps://indico.tlabs.ac.za/event/139/contributions/3849/
LOCATION:NRF-iThemba LABS\, Old Faure Road\, Cape Town Auditorium
URL:https://indico.tlabs.ac.za/event/139/contributions/3849/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:From neutrons to knowledge
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20260521T093000Z
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20260521T100000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20260624T075800Z
UID:indico-contribution-654-3847@indico.tlabs.ac.za
DESCRIPTION:Speakers: Humbelani Edzani Ratsibi (NECSA)\nResearch reactors 
 play a pivotal role in transforming fundamental nuclear particles into pow
 erful tools for scientific discovery and societal advancement. Unlike powe
 r reactors\, these facilities are specifically designed to produce high fl
 uxes of neutrons that can be harnessed for a wide range of applications. T
 his paper explores the journey “from neutrons to knowledge\,” highligh
 ting how research reactors enable breakthroughs in fields such as material
 s science\, medicine\, energy\, and environmental studies. Through techniq
 ues like neutron scattering and neutron activation analysis\, researchers 
 can probe the structure and behavior of matter at the atomic level\, provi
 ding insights that are often unattainable by other methods. Additionally\,
  research reactors contribute to the production of medical isotopes essent
 ial for diagnostics and cancer treatment\, as well as to the training of s
 killed scientists and engineers. By examining both the scientific capabili
 ties and the broader impacts of these facilities\, this work underscores t
 he enduring importance of research reactors as engines of innovation and t
 he development of next-generation systems\, including small modular and ad
 vanced reactors. At the same time\, they support applications in environme
 ntal monitoring\, isotope production\, radiation protection\, and nuclear 
 security\, demonstrating their broad societal relevance and knowledge gene
 ration in the modern world.\n\nhttps://indico.tlabs.ac.za/event/139/contri
 butions/3847/
LOCATION:NRF-iThemba LABS\, Old Faure Road\, Cape Town Auditorium
URL:https://indico.tlabs.ac.za/event/139/contributions/3847/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Quantitative Determination of Uranium in a Certified Uranium Ore C
 oncentrate Reference Material Using ICP-MS
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20260521T100000Z
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20260521T102000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20260624T075800Z
UID:indico-contribution-654-3810@indico.tlabs.ac.za
DESCRIPTION:Speakers: Tebogo Gilbert Kupi (North-West University)\nAccurat
 e determination of uranium concentration in uranium ore concentrates is es
 sential for nuclear safeguards\, material accountability\, and nuclear for
 ensic investigations. Reliable analytical techniques supported by certifie
 d reference materials are therefore required to ensure measurement accurac
 y and traceability. Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) 
 is widely used for quantitative determination of uranium due to its high s
 ensitivity\, low detection limits\, and capability for multi-element analy
 sis. In this study\, the uranium content of a Canadian Certified Reference
  Material (CRM) uranium ore concentrate was quantitatively determined usin
 g ICP-MS following acid digestion and dilution procedures. The solid CRM s
 ample was digested using nitric acids under controlled laboratory conditio
 ns to ensure complete dissolution of the sample matrix. The resulting solu
 tion was analysed using a NexION 2000 ICP-MS\, and the measured uranium co
 ncentration was converted into weight percent uranium through appropriate 
 dilution and mass balance calculations.\n\nThe analytical results indicate
 d a uranium concentration of approximately 76.55 wt.% U\, corresponding to
  90.27 wt.% U₃O₈ equivalent\, which is consistent with the expected co
 mposition range for high-grade uranium ore concentrates. The use of a cert
 ified reference material provided confidence in the accuracy and reliabili
 ty of the analytical methodology. These findings demonstrate the effective
 ness of ICP-MS for quantitative uranium analysis in uranium ore concentrat
 es and highlight the importance of validated analytical techniques for nuc
 lear safeguards\, nuclear forensics\, and material verification. The devel
 opment and application of such analytical capabilities contribute to stren
 gthening nuclear security frameworks and support ongoing efforts to establ
 ish nuclear forensic databases and analytical capacity within Africa.\n\nh
 ttps://indico.tlabs.ac.za/event/139/contributions/3810/
LOCATION:NRF-iThemba LABS\, Old Faure Road\, Cape Town Auditorium
URL:https://indico.tlabs.ac.za/event/139/contributions/3810/
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR