Search Results

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 Study: Five-Star Rating System Can Improve CT Imaging Safety and Reduce Unnecessary Radiation Exposure

A new study led by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in collaboration with Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, USA, shows that a five-star rating system can help hospitals optimize image quality, reduce radiation dose, and decrease unnecessary patient radiation exposure in computed tomography (CT) examinations. The study has been published in the European Journal of Radiology. CT imaging uses X-rays to obtain detailed images of internal body structures and is an important tool in diagnosing a wide range of diseases. The study notes that CT image quality is closely related to radiation dose—higher doses typically reduce image noise and improve clarity, but do not always yield additional diagnostic value. How to minimize radiation exposure while ensuring diagnostic accuracy is key to optimizing CT examination protocols.

2026-08-26

South Korea's Gijang County and KHNP Discuss Communication Issues with Residents near Kori Nuclear Power Plant

Gijang County, Busan, South Korea, said on August 25 that it held talks with Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) that day on pending issues related to the Kori Nuclear Power Plant, focusing on resident communication, allocation of co-prosperity support funds, dry cask storage facilities for spent fuel, and the small modular reactor project. According to Gijang County, KHNP President Kim Hoe-cheon visited the Gijang County government that day and met with County Governor Woo Sung-bin. Since taking office on March 18, Kim Hoe-cheon has been visiting nuclear power plant sites to understand local concerns, and this visit to Gijang County, the site of the Kori Nuclear Power Plant, is part of that ongoing communication effort...

2026-08-26

Russian Kursk NPP VVER-TOI Unit Completes Annual Power Generation Plan Ahead of Schedule

The new VVER-TOI unit at Russia's Kursk Nuclear Power Plant has completed its annual power generation plan four months ahead of schedule. As of August 25, the unit had delivered over 4.46 billion kWh to Russia's Unified Energy System, bringing the plant's total generation nearly 50% above the national plan target. The unit is the most powerful innovative VVER-TOI unit under Rosatom, and is a Generation III+ nuclear power unit. According to Kursk NPP, its output is equivalent to approximately two years of electricity demand for the residents of the city of Kursk. The new unit was first connected to the grid on December 31, 2025, and entered the electricity and capacity market on May 1, 2026...

2026-08-26

Singapore team develops deuterated silicon nitride waveguides for wafer-scale broadband light generation

A research team from the Singapore University of Technology and Design and the Institute of Microelectronics at the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) in Singapore has recently developed a low-loss deuterated silicon nitride waveguide capable of on-chip broadband light generation. By replacing hydrogen with its heavier isotope deuterium, the team fabricated silicon nitride waveguides at low temperatures, demonstrating potential for integration with CMOS-compatible semiconductor processes and wafer-scale mass production. The related paper, "Octave-spanning supercontinuum generation in wafer-scale low-loss deuterated silicon nitride waveguides," was published in *Optics Letters*. The study shows that this chip-scale waveguide can broaden infrared laser pulses to cover a spectral range from visible red light to deep infrared. Traditionally, silicon nitride thin films are grown from silane gas, and residual silicon-hydrogen bonds in the material absorb light in the telecommunications band, requiring high-temperature annealing that is incompatible with integrated electronic circuits.

2026-08-26

Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant Loses External Power for Six Days

On August 25 local time, the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) stated that it had lost external power since August 20 and had been relying on backup diesel generators to meet on-site electricity demand for six consecutive days. The plant's existing fuel reserves can still ensure operation, but difficulties in fuel resupply have not yet significantly eased. Yevgeniya Yashina, head of communications at ZNPP, stated that plant staff are monitoring nuclear safety parameters and the operation of backup diesel generator units around the clock. She noted that fuel transportation still faces difficulties due to shelling on roads leading to the plant; to improve the efficiency of existing reserve utilization, the plant has optimized the operation of diesel generators...

2026-08-26

Japan's Mihama Nuclear Power Plant Unit 3 Receives Preliminary Approval for Operation Plan Beyond 50 Years

On August 25, Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) gave preliminary approval to Kansai Electric Power Co. (KEPCO) for the long-term facility management plan for Unit 3 of the Mihama Nuclear Power Plant. Located in Mihama Town, Fukui Prefecture, the unit will mark its 50th anniversary of commercial operation on December 1. In May of this year, the metal top cover of the high-pressure turbine at Mihama Unit 3 suffered damage, resulting in steam leakage. At the NRA meeting held that day, KEPCO explained that the cause of the incident was believed to be thinning of the inner wall of the top cover due to steam flow. The company stated that this phenomenon falls under previously anticipated aging and degradation management for turbine equipment, and that the existing plan already includes corresponding management measures. Visual inspection and other examination methods were also deemed applicable, thus no revision to the long-term facility management plan was required.

2026-08-26

Thermo Fisher Scientific Launches First Orbitrap Mass Spectrometers for Isotope Ratio Analysis

Thermo Fisher Scientific recently launched the Thermo Scientific Orbitrap Isora mass spectrometer and Orbitrap Isora Pro mass spectrometer in Waltham, Massachusetts, USA. The company stated that these are its first Orbitrap instruments equipped with a dedicated isotope ratio analysis mode. The two mass spectrometers launched this time will form an integrated workflow together with the Thermo Scientific Vanquish Duo ultra-high performance liquid chromatography system and the new Isotope Discoverer software, providing molecular-level isotope ratio analysis capabilities to laboratories and researchers worldwide. Isotope ratio analysis can help researchers determine the source of compounds and their formation processes by measuring natural variations in isotopes within samples, helping...

2026-08-26

Molecular Partners Advances DLL3 Radiopharmaceutical MP0712 to Higher Dose Cohort

Swiss clinical-stage biotechnology company Molecular Partners AG recently announced its business progress and financial results for the first half of 2026. The company stated that its DLL3-targeting radioactive DARPin therapy MP0712 has advanced to the second therapeutic dose level in a U.S. multicenter Phase 1/2a clinical study, and patient enrollment for the new dose cohort is currently underway. MP0712 is a radiopharmaceutical targeting the tumor-associated antigen DLL3, carrying a therapeutic alpha-emitting radionuclide lead-212 (Pb-212) payload, co-developed by Molecular Partners and Orano Med, primarily for small cell lung cancer and other neuroendocrine tumors. According to the company's disclosure, the first dose cohort of MP0712...

2026-08-26

FSG to Provide Electrical and Control Systems Support for Oklo's Groves Isotope Test Reactor Project

American Facility Solutions Group, LLC (FSG) announced on August 25 that it will support Oklo's Groves Isotope Test Reactor project, providing electrical, instrumentation, control, testing, and verification-related work. According to reports, the Groves Isotope Test Reactor achieved first criticality on August 5, 2026, reaching a controlled, self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction. The reactor is the fifth reactor to achieve this milestone among projects authorized under the U.S. Department of Energy's Reactor Pilot Program, and the first to reach criticality on private land under the program. The low-power test reactor is designed to lay the foundation for domestic commercial isotope production...

2026-08-26

Korea's Shin-Kori Unit 1 Reaches Full Power After Scheduled Maintenance

Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) announced that Shin-Kori Unit 1 reached 100% rated power at approximately 3:07 a.m. on the 26th. The unit is a 1,400 MW-class pressurized water reactor. Shin-Kori Unit 1 began its sixth scheduled preventive maintenance on July 2 and resumed power generation on July 23. During the maintenance period, the unit underwent statutory inspections as required by Korea's Nuclear Safety Act. Shin-Kori nuclear power plant stated that this maintenance included nuclear fuel replacement, as well as maintenance and inspection of major equipment and facilities to enhance the safety and reliability of the power generation facility....

2026-08-26

Main Piping and Surge Lines for Unit 2 of Xudabao Nuclear Power Plant Arrived at Site

On August 22, the main piping and surge lines for Unit 2 of Xudabao Nuclear Power Plant were successfully delivered to the site, laying a solid foundation for the commencement of main piping welding, a Level-1 milestone. The main piping serves as the aorta of the reactor coolant system. Together with the reactor pressure vessel, steam generators, and reactor coolant pumps, it forms a closed loop and pressure boundary. It is not only the core pipeline carrying the circulation and transfer of the reactor coolant but also a critical safety barrier for the nuclear island, making it an essential component of the nuclear island's core equipment. To ensure high-quality and on-time delivery of the equipment, Liaoning Nuclear Power took the lead in coordinating with the general contractor, procurement party, and equipment manufacturers, establishing a three-tier coordination mechanism of "daily reports + weekly meetings + monthly executive meetings" to fully streamline the information chain. Through measures such as optimizing production processes, mobilizing superior production capacity, and implementing continuous operations, all tasks were completed on schedule, ensuring the equipment was shipped and delivered to the site as planned.

2026-08-26

Ministry of Ecology and Environment North China Regional Office of Nuclear and Radiation Safety Supervision Conducts Supervision of First Fuel Loading at Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant Unit 7

Recently, the first fuel loading of Unit 7 at Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant was officially initiated, with the first fuel assembly successfully loaded into the reactor core, marking the unit's formal transition into the commissioning phase with nuclear operation. This unit is a key cooperative project witnessed by the heads of state of China and Russia via video link at its groundbreaking ceremony. This fuel loading marks a significant milestone achievement in the largest strategic cooperation project in China-Russia nuclear energy cooperation. As a core and critical procedure in nuclear power engineering, the first fuel loading serves as a comprehensive and holistic verification of the unit's engineering construction quality, system commissioning effectiveness, and safety control capabilities, and is of decisive significance to the subsequent safe and stable operation of the unit. The Ministry of Ecology and Environment North China Regional Office of Nuclear and Radiation Safety Supervision (hereinafter referred to as the North China Regional Office) has consistently upheld the nuclear safety regulatory work style of "rigorous, prudent, meticulous, and practical," closely focusing on the core and critical aspects of the first fuel loading, and implementing full-coverage, full-chain, and whole-process supervision and control over this fuel loading operation, effectively safeguarding the safety and quality defense line of the loading operation.

2026-08-26

Japan Completes Cryogenic Test of World's Largest Superconducting Toroidal Field Coil for ITER

Japan's National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology (QST) and Toshiba Corporation announced on August 25 that they had successfully completed the first cryogenic current test of the world's largest superconducting toroidal field coil at the construction site of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). The test was conducted at an operating temperature of approximately minus 269 degrees Celsius, marking a critical technical milestone before ITER's commissioning. The superconducting toroidal field coil, also known as the TF coil, installed in the test facility is a key component of ITER's superconducting magnet system, used to generate the strong magnetic field required to confine plasma. During the test, the team cooled the coil from room temperature to cryogenic conditions, confirmed its transition to the superconducting state, and for the first time achieved stable conduction of 10,000 amperes of current while the coil was in the superconducting state.

2026-08-25