Applied Nuclear Physics

Research in applied nuclear physics aims att understanding the properties of the atomic nucleus and applying this knowledge in different areas such as energy and materials research. - This page is still under construction. Please check out the Swedish version for more information, possibly using some automatic translation function in your browser. Apologies for the inconvenience. -

Research

Nuclear Data

The research in Nuclear Data is focusing on fundamental research about nuclear data and nuclear reactions. Knowledge about this is important for applications such as cancer treatments or transmutation of used nuclear fuel.

Nuclear Data Evaluation and Uncertainty Quantification

Total Monte Carlo (TMC) is a method to propagate nuclear data uncertainties to different applications, such as fission reactors, fusion reactors and shielding applications.

The basic idea is to use a state-of-the-art nuclear model code like TALYS and randomize the input parameters within a reasonable range. This range may be defined as fixed. Alternatively a feedback-loop may be used, which compares the resulting calculated cross sections with the existing data-set in the EXFOR database of nuclear reaction data, in order to decide whether the current parameter set leads to acceptable results.

In this way several hundred possible cross-section datasets are generated. TENDL is the TALYS Evaluated Nuclear Data Library.

Nuclear Safeguards and Fuel Characterization

The research in nuclear safeguards is motivated by societal needs on the international and national arena, where the overall objective aims to deter from and prevent the spread of nuclear weapons through misuse of civilian nuclear facilities and materials.

Fusion Diagnostics

Fusion is a promising future energy source, which could potentially give large quantities of carbon emission free electricity from a small amount of fuel using the same type of process that powers the sun.

A versatile method to monitor the state of the plasma that constitutes the fuel is neutron spectroscopy. From neutron measurements we can extract parameters such as fuel temperature, non-thermal energy distribution of the fuel ions, ion density, and fusion power.

Fuel and Core

Research into nuclear reactor cores and fuel is critical for advancing the safety, efficiency, and longevity of reactors. Within the extreme conditions of a reactor core—characterized by high temperatures, radiation, and pressures—nuclear fuel undergoes complex interactions and transformations.

Nuclear Disarmament

Work related to nuclear disarmament is performed at the division by a work group of the Alva Myrdal’s Centre for nuclear disarmament.An important piece of the puzzle to achieve success in nuclear disarmament negotiations is technical verification. How can one know that the parties' commitments according to a disarmament treaty are also matched by action? The tools available to demonstrate compliance are collectively referred to as verification. The research carried out in the department includes projects within e.g.:

Improved sensitivity in radionuclide monitoring for the detection of nuclear weapons tests (CoSpeR).
Identification of challenges and potential technical solutions for nuclear warhead dismantlement verification (in collaboration with IPNDV).
Method development for nuclear archeology to verify historical production of nuclear materials.

Radioekologi

Inom forskningen i radioekologi finns tillgång till flertalet detektorer som är kalibrerade för att göra aktivitetsmätningar av isotoper i biologisk material. Än så länge har de två projekten Strålande Jord och OBELICs genomförts.

Strålande jord

Strålande jord genomfördes under 2018 och var ett så kallat medborgarvetenskapligt projekt där många hundra elever i högstadiet hjälpte till för att samla in svamp från hela Sverige. Cesiuminnehållet i svamparna mättes och resultatet till meddelades sedan till alla deltagande klasser.

Läs mer om strålande jord (In Swedish)

OBELICs

OBELICs var vårt andra större radioekologiprojekt som finansierades av Strålsäkerhetsmyndigheten och geomfördes i samarbete med SLU. OBELICs var ett medborgarvetenskapligt projekt där jägare i mellansverige hjälpte till genom att skjuta vildsvin och skicka köttbitar och maginnehåll för analys till oss forskare på uppsala universitet och SLU. Vi analyserade dels köttets cesiumhalt och undersökte hur detta var kopplat till vildsvinens maginnehåll som bestämdes med hjälp av DNA-analys. Arbetet är fortgående.

Mattias Lantz

Education

NANSS

Nuclear education and training for professionals in the nuclear power industry, but also to governments and organizations with similar training needs.