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Lancaster University in the UK receives EPSRC funding to study antimatter production in intense laser pulses

Christopher Arran, a lecturer at Lancaster University and the Cockcroft Institute in the UK, has recently been awarded a three-year New Investigator Award from the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) to study electron-positron pair production in the extremely intense electromagnetic fields of high-power lasers. The research focuses on matter-antimatter production processes under intense laser pulse conditions. Similar interactions are believed to exist in extreme cosmic environments, such as near pulsars and black hole accretion disks. Previously, such interactions had only been measured at large particle accelerator facilities such as Stanford University and the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), but the electric and magnetic field strengths used in those experiments were far weaker than the strong-field conditions achievable with current high-power lasers.

2026-08-26

U.S. Develops Hybrid Process Combining Electroforming and 3D Printing for Critical Component Manufacturing in Advanced Nuclear Reactors

On August 24, local time, the U.S. Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) announced that its scientists are collaborating with AJ Tuck Company (AJ Tuck) to develop a hybrid manufacturing process that combines 3D printing and electroforming to produce complex, leak-tight hot isostatic pressing canisters for powder metallurgy hot isostatic pressing processes. The process targets the manufacturing of critical metal components for advanced nuclear reactors and other energy and defense applications, with the goal of shortening production workflows and reducing reliance on traditional large-scale forging and casting supply chains. A hot isostatic pressing canister is a type of sealed container used to compact metal powders into high-performance metal components under high temperature and high pressure. Traditional hot...

2026-08-26

Electron Beam Processing Can Reduce Poultry Pathogens, Study Shows Turkey Meat Quality Remains Well Preserved

A study on electron beam treatment of poultry meat products shows that electron beam irradiation has the potential to reduce the risk of foodborne pathogens in poultry while preserving meat quality as much as possible. The paper, titled "Effects of Electron Beam (eBeam) Treatment on the Texture and Sensory Attributes of Chicken and Turkey Meat Batters," was published in the journal Poultry Science. Electron beam is a non-thermal processing technology that uses high-energy electrons to cause irreversible damage to pathogen DNA or RNA, making it difficult for bacteria to replicate. Like X-rays and gamma rays, electron beam has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for cold pasteurization that does not rely on heating. The research team used the electron beam irradiation facility at Texas A&M University...

2026-08-26

DARPA Ships Insect Sterility Technique Irradiator to the United States with Panamanian Cooperation

An insect irradiator used for the sterile insect technique program was recently transshipped to the United States via Panama, where it will support U.S. efforts to address the New World screwworm threat. The equipment was acquired by the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) on July 8, 2026, and arrived in Panama, where it was subsequently transferred from the port to the airport with the assistance of Panamanian partners. The New World screwworm is a parasitic pest whose flies lay eggs in warm-blooded animals, with larvae burrowing into tissue and feeding, posing a threat to livestock production. Jon O’Rullian, president of the equipment manufacturer Foss Therapy Services, Incorporated, stated that threats of this kind are significant to all types of livestock producers.

2026-08-26

IAEA Director General Unveils Upcoming New Initiative on Maritime Nuclear Energy

Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), recently stated that the Agency is preparing to launch a new initiative to promote the application of civilian nuclear technology in maritime settings. The initiative, named Atomic Technology Licensing for Maritime Applications (ATLAS), will be officially unveiled at an IAEA ministerial event scheduled for August 26-27 in Washington, D.C., United States. The initiative aims to support the deployment of maritime civilian nuclear applications such as nuclear-powered ships and floating nuclear power plants, while facilitating alignment in licensing and regulatory efforts. Grossi stated that the ATLAS initiative could support global trade and help provide energy to remote communities and industrial users...

2026-08-26

Japan's Helical Fusion Publishes Research Results on High-Temperature Superconducting Magnets

Helical Fusion recently announced that its joint research on high-temperature superconducting magnets with the National Institute for Fusion Science (NIFS) has passed peer review and been published in the Journal of Physics: Conference Series. The results, previously disclosed in a preliminary report, primarily validate the performance of high-temperature superconducting conductors for fusion reactor applications under strong magnetic fields and high currents. This study tested the UROCOIC high-temperature superconducting conductor independently developed by Helical Fusion. The research team fabricated the conductor into a double-pancake coil sample and used existing test equipment to simulate, as closely as possible, the magnetic field and current environment expected in future fusion reactors.

2026-08-26

South Korea launches next-generation nuclear energy research talent training program

South Korea's talent training program for postdoctoral researchers in the nuclear energy field has officially been launched, which will be based on university laboratories to promote future nuclear technology research, industry-academia-research cooperation, and employment linkage. On August 25, during the 2026 Climate and Energy Job Fair, the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, the Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning (KETEP), and the Korea Radiation Promotion Association held the next-generation energy leader training program in the nuclear energy field...

2026-08-26

Phase II of China Spallation Neutron Source in Dongguan expected to be completed by 2029

On August 26, a media delegation from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area visited the China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS) in Dongguan to learn about the operation of this major scientific facility and the progress of its Phase II project. The CSNS is China's first and the world's fourth pulsed spallation neutron source, often referred to as a "super microscope" for exploring the microscopic world. Since its opening in 2018, the facility has been operating in areas including basic research, research addressing major national needs, industrial innovation, and the integration of Hong Kong and Macao in science and technology innovation, and has become one of the key scientific research platforms in the Greater Bay Area. Tong Xin, Deputy Director of the Spallation Neutron Source Science Center, stated that the Phase II project of the CSNS is currently under construction, with a construction period from January 2024 to October 2029...

2026-08-26

Jamaica Launches Graduate Training Program in Radiation Protection and Safety, Poised to Become a Regional Center of Excellence in the Caribbean

Jamaica's newly established graduate training program in radiation protection and safety is being viewed as an important platform for enhancing nuclear technology safety capabilities in the Caribbean region. Chris Ardouin, an International Atomic Energy Agency expert and Senior Scientist and Technical Manager of Public Health and Forensic Science at the National Radiation Science Centre of New Zealand, stated that the program demonstrates Jamaica's potential to become a regional center of excellence for radiation protection and safety training. The six-month program, implemented as the first graduate education course in radiation protection and safety under the framework of the University of the West Indies' short-term academic resources, is currently training 12 professionals from seven CARICOM member states, with a focus on enhancing regional...

2026-08-26

China's Huanliu-4 High-Temperature Superconducting Magnet Development Roadmap Clarified

On August 25, during the 2026 Fusion Energy Conference and Fusion Energy Activity Week, the Yangtze River Delta Innovation Consortium, led by China Fusion Energy Co., Ltd., has clarified its development targets for high-temperature superconducting high-field tokamak magnets: to build the first 25T high-temperature superconducting high-field magnet development and testing line by 2028, and to complete prototype magnet development by 2030. The consortium is led by China Fusion Energy Co., Ltd., with members including Shanghai Superconductor, Eastern Superconductor, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai Electric Nuclear Power Group, Chaoci Xinneng, Energy Singularity, Hangyang Group, and Yixi Technology. The consortium will focus on building high-temperature superconducting high-field tokamak magnet development capabilities and engineering technology systems to provide key technical support for the subsequent construction of China's Huanliu-4.

2026-08-26

Russian Research Team Proposes New Method for Studying Morphology of Flexible Crystals

Experts from the Siberian Circular Photon Source Collaboration Center and the Institute of Solid State Chemistry and Mechanochemistry of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences have proposed a comprehensive method for studying the morphology of flexible organic crystals. The method combines computational algorithms, laboratory microscopy techniques, and experimental diffraction studies, and can be used to more reliably determine crystal geometry and facet arrangement. The results have been published in the Journal of Applied Crystallography. Flexible crystals are a relatively rare class of organic crystals that can bend under very small mechanical stress while maintaining lattice integrity. Researchers indicate that among compounds with determined crystal structures, the proportion exhibiting such properties is less than...

2026-08-26

U.S. NRIC Selects 13 Nuclear Energy Launch Pad Projects

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)'s National Reactor Innovation Center (NRIC) announced on August 24 that 13 new projects have been selected for the Nuclear Energy Launch Pad program. NRIC is based at Idaho National Laboratory (INL). NRIC Director Brad Tomer stated that this round of selections reflects developers' growing commitment to advancing related technologies. The program will provide companies with a priority pathway to DOE authorization, as well as access to expert resources, facility conditions, and targeted regulatory support to adv...

2026-08-26

Rare Germanium Isotope Infrared Spectral Signatures Elucidated in Detail for the First Time

The press service of the Russian Ministry of Education and Science reported on August 25 that scientists from Tomsk Polytechnic University, in collaboration with an international research team, have for the first time conducted a detailed study of the infrared spectra of two rare germanium isotopes and identified characteristic spectral signatures that can be used to recognize the relevant isotopes in complex gas mixtures. The research team selected two highly enriched isotopes—germanium-72 and germanium-73—as the subjects of the study, recording their spectral information using a high-resolution Fourier transform spectrometer. This instrument is capable of resolving closely spaced spectral lines, providing the conditions for analyzing subtle spectral changes induced by isotopic substitution. The researchers stated that precise spectral data for different germanium isotopes remain relatively scarce in the scientific literature, and such data are of significant importance for identifying molecules in planetary atmospheres and for producing ultra-pure germanium isotopes for quantum technologies and modern electronics.

2026-08-26

Two production lines at radiopharmaceutical plant in Russia's Kaluga Region enter trial production

Rosatom recently announced that two production lines at its modern radiopharmaceutical manufacturing facility in the Kaluga Region have entered trial production. The facility, built in accordance with the Eurasian Economic Union's international Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards, is equipped with high-level production equipment and is designed to supply safe, quality-controlled radiopharmaceuticals to the market. According to reports, Rosatom's subsidiary enterprises currently produce more than ten registered diagnostic and therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals, involving isotopes such as iodine-123, iodine-131, technetium-99m, and samarium-153. The new plant's production plan is based on the demand for radioisotope products from Russian medical institutions through 2030. The company...

2026-08-26

IAEA 70th General Conference to Host Nuclear Energy Side Events

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Department of Nuclear Energy will hold its regular Nuclear Power Plant Operators Forum and three nuclear energy-related side events during the 70th IAEA General Conference, to be held from 14 to 18 September 2026 in Vienna, Austria. The schedule of the side events will be announced once confirmed. The Nuclear Power Plant Operators Forum, themed "Microreactors: Shaping New Operational Landscapes and Applications," is scheduled to take place from 10:30 to 12:30 on 17 September 2026 in Meeting Room CR3, 7th Floor, Building C. The forum will feature panel discussions with industry and technical experts, presenting international progress in microreactor development and deployment, covering topics such as key design features, emerging technologies, fuel and deployment options, as well as practical considerations in installation and operation, and experience from projects under construction. The session will also address the diversification of microreactor designs, the evolving research and development landscape, and the impact of practical applications, societal factors, and market expectations on technology selection.

2026-08-26