RadWasteAnalytics is a research group that deals with the study of the radioactive content and the physico-chemical behaviour of radioactive accelerator waste and related topics such as the physico-chemical behaviour of nuclear reaction products in spallation targets under normal operation and accident conditions. Radioanalytical determinations, especially analysis of the radioactive inventory in accelerator waste, are increasingly important not only for the evaluation of existing radioactive waste and the present waste management, but also for the development of new techniques for handling, decommissioning and storage of such materials. The research field of the Group RadWaste analytics includes analysis of concrete and beam dumps from accelerators, investigations of the residue nuclide production in different targets for the validation of nuclear codes as well as basic studies for development of future spallation targets, ADS-systems and radioactive ion beam (RIB) facilities.

Motivation

• In the past, few, small accelerator facilities, operating several years without major changes, produced a relatively small amount of waste
• At present, new possibilities for production of medical nuclides arise from the use of cyclotrons, spallation neutron sources, and larger (RIB) facilities
• In the future, large scale facilities for science and technology (spallation neutron sources, accelerator driven systems for waste transmutation, radioactive beam facilities) will result in an ever increasing production of radioactive material with a not well characterized radionuclide inventory

Objectives

• Evaluation of methods for elemental, radioactivity and mass analysis of accelerator waste (certification for final disposal)
• Physico-chemical characterisation of spallation targets (important for design, licensing and long-term disposal)
• Validation of model calculations for determination of long-lived radionuclides in accelerator waste to establish reference nuclides
• Search for long-lived radionuclides, measurement of cross sections for validation of models
• Utilization of accelerator waste as a source for exotic long-lived radionuclides
  Essential: Chemical separation, determination of physico-chemical data

Topics

• Liquid metal target technology for lead, lead eutectics and mercury
• Analytics of accelerator waste
• Exotic Radionuclides from Accelerator Waste for Science and Technology (ERAWAST)