A comprehensive methodology for computational fluid dynamics (CFD) has been developed in research conducted at the National Centre for Nuclear Research to accurately model turbulent flow and heat exchange phenomena in tightly packed fuel assembly geometry. These efforts were recognized at the international SCOPE conference.

In early December, the ATF Cladding project, jointly submitted by scientists from Poland and South Korea, was approved for implementation. The National Centre for Nuclear Research (NCBJ) represents the Polish side, while the consortium includes Seoul National University, the Korean Atomic Energy Research Institute, and DAEKYUNG TECH & TESTERS on the Korean side. The aim of the project is to perform a detailed study on the structural stability and associated changing functional properties of a new type of fuel cladding jackets coated with a protective layer, designed for nuclear reactors. These materials will enhance the tolerance to nuclear events of such components and are called Accident Tolerant Fuel.

The CERAD cyclotron, designed and built by the Belgian company IBA (Ion Beam Applications S.A.), has been installed at the National Centre for Nuclear Research (NCBJ). The cyclotron will accelerate protons and alpha particles to an energy of 30 MeV and deuterons to an energy of 15 MeV. By bombarding appropriately selected targets with these particles, it will be possible to produce radionuclides such as 89Zr or 211At, which have not been produced at NCBJ to date and have not been widely available in Poland. Thanks to the new device in Świerk, it will be possible to conduct research on new radiopharmaceuticals, in particular those that will be specially designed for the needs of individual patients.

A third comprehensive X-ray scanner for non-intrusive inspection of large-scale goods for the detection of threats or smuggling attempts has been delivered to the Polish border. The new MultiControl CanisMatic Rail device will operate at the Hrubieszów railway border crossing. Like the two previous devices already operating in Kuźnica Białostocka and Korsze, it is the work of the Polish company MultiControl sp. z o.o., and was created thanks to advanced NCBJ technology.

The Świerk Information Center (CIŚ) the National Centre for Nuclear Research (NCBJ) has officially achieved Tier 1 status in the Worldwide LHC Computing Grid (WLCG). This milestone establishes it as a network node for operational data production at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in CERN.

A new study has shed light on the intricate cosmic dance between interstellar dust in galaxies, properties of galaxies, and their environments. For a very long time, the relations between dust and the galaxies was investigated. However, the link between dust properties and the neighborhood of galaxies was poorly understood. In the newest work published in Astronomy&Astrophysics, the scientists studied the relationship between the amount of stellar light absorbed by dust, and the environments of galaxies.