Moon farming: SCK•CEN sends experiment into space On 24 July 2019, SPACEX-18 rocket left the Kennedy Space Center (Florida) for the International Space Station. On board were some basaltic rock and bacteria from Earth, both part of an experiment investigating whether life would be possible on the Moon; since basalt is a dominant rock type…
IAEA Announces Student Competition In conjunction with the International Conference on Nuclear Knowledge Management and Human Resources Development, the IAEA is holding a competition for students aged 14-18 in IAEA member states. Students are invited to present a project which promotes discussion and raises awareness on the use of digital technologies to support education in…
DecommissioningIntroduction Figure 1: UK Magnox power plant in Bradwell enters Care and Maintenance, where it will be left to decay before final demolition. (Source: UK Government. Reproduced under open license) All nuclear facilities have a finite operating life. For commercial nuclear power plants, this is typically 30 – 60 years. Around the world, over 115…
Energy Nuclear energy is a key component of the energy mix around the world. There are more than 400 nuclear power plants in operation, seventy under construction and several dozen new projects are under study. How does a nuclear power plant work? Figure 1: The different components of a Pressurised Water Reactor (PWR) power plant.…
Food and agricultureNuclear technology for food and agriculture It is expected that by 2050, the world’s population will have increased by one-third, with the highest increase occurring in developing countries; and with it, our needs for sustainable food and water as well. Nuclear technologies provide competitive and often unique solutions to help fight hunger and…
Industrial applications Nuclear technology is a major contributor to industrial development and it is present in many aspects of our daily lives. Neutron Transmutation Doped silicon: The What, why and how Figure 1: Silicon is irradiated with neutrons, resulting in transmutation into a stable 31P isotope.2 Computers, wind turbines, photovoltaic panels, high-speed trains, hybrid cars:…
Innovation The applications of nuclear are continually being furthered by innovative research. Clean energy futures In order to provide a reliable baseload supply to the energy grid which is also a clean, low carbon source of energy, nuclear power is required. Three generations of nuclear reactors have provided clean electricity for over 50 years, however…
MedicalWhat is nuclear medicine? Medical applications of nuclear technology are used all over the world. Every year, 30 million people benefit from a diagnostic procedure or treatment by nuclear medicine for at least 60 different pathologies- and these numbers are steadily increasing. These medical applications save lives. They are now used in the fight against…
What is radioactivity? Radioactivity is a natural phenomenon that has existed since the origins of the Earth. It is present everywhere: in the water, the air, the soil and the biota. The human being itself is radioactive. There are two types of radioactivity: natural radioactivity and artificial radioactivity, also known as induced or man-made radioactivity…
