Nuclear Physics for Cultural Heritage

Nuclear physics applications in medicine and energy are well known and widely reported. Less well known are the many important nuclear and related techniques used for the study, characterization, assessment and preservation of cultural heritage. There has been enormous progress in this field in recent years and the current review aims to provide the public with a popular and accessible account of this work. The Nuclear Physics Division of the EPS represents scientists from all branches of nuclear physics across Europe. One of its aims is the dissemination of knowledge about nuclear physics and its applications. This review is led by Division board member Anna Macková, Head of the Tandetron Laboratory at the Nuclear Physics Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences, and the review committee includes four other members of the nuclear physics board interested in this area: Faiçal Azaiez, Johan Nyberg, Eli Piasetzky and Douglas MacGregor. To create a truly authoritative account, the Scientific Editors have invited contributions from leading experts across Europe, and this publication is the combined result of their work. The review is extensively illustrated with important discoveries and examples from archaeology, pre-history, history, geography, culture, religion and curation, which underline the breadth and importance of this field. The large number of groups and laboratories working in the study and preservation of cultural heritage across Europe indicate the enormous effort and importance attached by society to this activity

Enhancement of Gamma-Ray Shielding Properties in Cobalt-Doped Heavy Metal Borate Glasses: The Role of Lanthanum Oxide Reinforcement

The direct influence of La3+ ions on the gamma-ray shielding properties of cobalt-doped heavy metal borate glasses with the chemical formula 0.3CoO-(80-x)B2O3-19.7PbO-xLa2O3: x = 0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, and 2 mol% was examined herein. Several significant radiation shielding parameters were evaluated. The glass density was increased from 3.11 to 3.36 g/cm3 with increasing La3+ ion content from 0 to 2 mol%. The S5 glass sample, which contained the highest concentration of La3+ ions (2 mol%), had the maximum linear (μ) and mass (μm) attenuation coefficients for all photon energies entering, while the S1 glass sample free of La3+ ions possessed the minimum values of μ and μm. Both the half value layer (T1/2) and tenth value layer (TVL) of all investigated glasses showed a sim-ilar trend of (T1/2, TVL)S1 > (T1/2, TVL)S2 > (T1/2, TVL)S3 > (T1/2, TVL)S4 > (T1/2, TVL)S5. Our results re-vealed that the S5 sample had the highest effective atomic number (Zeff) values over the whole range of gamma-ray energy. S5 had the lowest exposure (EBF) and energy absorption (EABF) build-up factor values across the whole photon energy and penetration depth range. Our findings give a strong indication of the S5 sample’s superior gamma-ray shielding characteristics due to the highest contribution of lanthanum oxide. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.Funding: The authors extend their appreciation to the Deanship of Scientific Research at King Kha-lid University for funding this work through the research group program under grant number R.G.P.1/1/42. The APC was covered by “Dunarea de Jos” University of Galati, Romania

Toward the Understanding of Irradiation Effects on Concrete: The Irradiated Minerals, Aggregates, and Concrete Database

The understanding of irradiation effects on concrete has become urgent due to the possible extension of the operating life of nuclear power plants. Although there are scarcity, uncertainties, and inconsistency in concrete irradiation data, literature indicated that significant reduction in concrete mechanical properties occurred mainly due to the radiation-induced volumetric expansion (RIVE) of aggregate at neutron fluence of 1.0x1019 n.cm-2 (Energy \u3e 10 KeV). This fluence is expected to be reached at 80 years of operation. Therefore, better understanding of aggregate RIVE could be obtained through understanding the RIVE of its mineral composition.A large amount of minerals and aggregates RIVE data were published recently in Russia, and reanalyzed by: (1) finding empirical models for minerals RIVEs; (2) upscaling minerals RIVEs to aggregate scale through homogenization; (3) comparing the upscaled and experimental RIVEs of aggregates to estimate crackings in them.Minerals empirical models were obtained by combining two different interpolation techniques with 90% confidence of RIVE estimation. Further analysis of minerals RIVEs indicated that silicate minerals have the highest RIVEs, and show different susceptibility to irradiation depending on: (1) the dimensionality of SiO4 polymerization; (2) the relative number of Si-O bond per unit cell; and (3) the relative bonding energy of unit cell.The upscaled RIVEs of aggregates were calculated at the same irradiation temperature (T) and neutron fluence (©) of experimental RIVEs. The Inverse Distance Weighting interpolation technique was used to normalize RIVEs at different conditions to a fixed condition of © Æ 1.0x1020n.cm-2 (E \u3e 10 KeV), and T Æ 80±C. A comparison of the two RIVEs showed that mineral composition and texture play a major role in RIVEs of aggregates. RIVEs of silicate-bearing aggregates were higher than RIVEs of carbonate-bearing aggregates. For all aggregates, high plagioclase feldspar content, medium-to-large mineral grain sizes, or both, have higher cracks in experimental RIVEs than other aggregates with similar mineral composition. Further observations indicated igneous intrusive aggregates have high RIVEs that might be due to residual strains stored in those aggregates during their formation under high pressure and temperature

Nuclear physics for cultural heritage

Nuclear physics applications in medicine and energy are well known and widely reported. Less well known are the many important nuclear and related techniques used for the study, characterization, assessment and preservation of cultural heritage. There has been enormous progress in this field in recent years and the current review aims to provide the public with a popular and accessible account of this work. The Nuclear Physics Division of the EPS represents scientists from all branches of nuclear physics across Europe. One of its aims is the dissemination of knowledge about nuclear physics and its applications. This review is led by Division board member Anna Macková, Head of the Tandetron Laboratory at the Nuclear Physics Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences, and the review committee includes four other members of the nuclear physics board interested in this area: Faiçal Azaiez, Johan Nyberg, Eli Piasetzky and Douglas MacGregor. To create a truly authoritative account, the Scientific Editors have invited contributions from leading experts across Europe, and this publication is the combined result of their work. The review is extensively illustrated with important discoveries and examples from archaeology, pre-history, history, geography, culture, religion and curation, which underline the breadth and importance of this field. The large number of groups and laboratories working in the study and preservation of cultural heritage across Europe indicate the enormous effort and importance attached by society to this activity

Nuclear Physics for Cultural Heritage

Nuclear physics applications in medicine and energy are well known and widely reported. Less well known are the many important nuclear and related techniques used for the study, characterization, assessment and preservation of cultural heritage. There has been enormous progress in this field in recent years and the current review aims to provide the public with a popular and accessible account of this work. The Nuclear Physics Division of the EPS represents scientists from all branches of nuclear physics across Europe. One of its aims is the dissemination of knowledge about nuclear physics and its applications. This review is led by Division board member Anna Macková, Head of the Tandetron Laboratory at the Nuclear Physics Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences, and the review committee includes four other members of the nuclear physics board interested in this area: Faiçal Azaiez, Johan Nyberg, Eli Piasetzky and Douglas MacGregor. To create a truly authoritative account, the Scientific Editors have invited contributions from leading experts across Europe, and this publication is the combined result of their work. The review is extensively illustrated with important discoveries and examples from archaeology, pre-history, history, geography, culture, religion and curation, which underline the breadth and importance of this field. The large number of groups and laboratories working in the study and preservation of cultural heritage across Europe indicate the enormous effort and importance attached by society to this activity

Transmission factors, mechanical, and gamma ray attenuation properties of barium-phosphate-tungsten glasses: Incorporation impact of WO3

The purpose of this study is to conduct a thorough examination of the direct and indirect impacts of increasing the quantity of heavy WO3 on gamma-ray transmission, shielding and mechanical properties for some selected barium-phosphate-tungsten glasses. Accordingly, mechanical properties of barium-phosphate-tungsten oxides with chemical formula (50-x)P2O5-50BaO-xWO3 (x = 0.0(S1), 5.0(S2), 10(S3), and 15(S4)) mol% was evaluated using Makishima-Mackenzie model. Next, newly online Phy-X/PSD software and Monte Carlo code were used to examine the gamma radiation characteristics. Gamma-ray transmission factor (TF) values were calculated for S1, S2, S3 and, S4 glass samples for a range of well-known radioisotope energies such for 67Ga, 57Co-57, 111In-111, 133Ba, 201Tl, 99 mTc, 51Cr, 131I, 58Co, 137Cs, 60Co. The total packing density (Vt) was enhanced from 0.589 for S1 glass sample (free with WO3) to 0.605 for S4 glass sample (with highest WO3 =15 mol%). The total energy dissociation (Gt) of the investigated glasses was increased with increasing the WO3 content: from 51.7 (kJ/cm3) for S1 glasses to 52.45 (kJ/cm3) for S4 glasses. All mechanical moduli were improved with increasing the tungsten trioxide concentration in the studied glasses. Poisson's ratios were increased with increasing the WO3 concentration. The trend of linear (LAC) and mass attenuation (MAC) coefficients were followed as: (LAC, MAC) S1 < (LAC, MAC) S2 < (LAC, MAC) S3 < (LAC, MAC) S4. Half (HVL) and tenth (TVL) value layers have the trend as (HVL, TVL) S1 > (HVL, TVL) S2 > (HVL, TVL) S3 > (HVL, TVL) S4. The effective atomic number (Zeff) and electron density (Neff) have the same trend. The lowest transmission Factor (TF) values for all glass specimens were examined at a thickness of 3 cm. Furthermore, the S4 sample displayed the least transmission tendency across all glass thicknesses evaluated. © 2022 The AuthorsPrincess Nourah bint Abdul Rahman University Researchers Supporting Project Number (PNURSP2022R149)

Gamma, Neutron, and Heavy Charged Ion Shielding Properties of Er3+-Doped and Sm3+-Doped Zinc Borate Glasses

This study aimed to investigate the nuclear radiation shielding properties of erbium (Er)-reinforced and samarium (Sm)-reinforced borate glasses. In the 0.015-15 MeV photon energy range, attenuation coefficients, as well as half-value layer tenth-value layers, and the mean-free path have been calculated. Additionally, effective, and equivalent atomic numbers, effective atomic weight, electron density, and exposure and energy absorption build-up factors were also calculated. To evaluate the overall nuclear radiation attenuation competencies of Er-rich and Sm-rich glasses, effective removal cross-section values for fast neutrons and projected range/mass stopping power values for alpha and proton particles were also determined. The glass sample BZBEr2.0 had the highest linear and mass attenuation coefficients (μ and μm), effective conductivity (Ceff), the effective number of electrons (Neff), and effective atomic number (Zeff) values as well as the lowest half-value layer (T1/2), tenth value layers (T1/10), mean free path (λ), exposure build-up factor, and energy absorption build-up factor values. μm values were reported as 2.337, 2.556, 2.770, 2.976, 2.108, 2.266, 2.421, 2.569, and 2.714 for BZBEr0.5, BZBEr1.0, BZBEr1.5, BZBEr2.0, BZBSm0.0, BZBSm0.5, BZBSm1.0, BZBSm1.5, and BZBSm2.0 glass samples at 0.06 MeV, respectively. The results showed that Er has a greater effect than Sm regarding the gamma-ray shielding properties of borate glasses. The results of this investigation could be used in further investigations and added to older investigations with the same aim, to aid the scientific community in determining the most appropriate rare-earth additive, to provide adequate shielding properties based on the requirement. © 2022 Huseyin Ozan Tekin et al., published by De Gruyter

Glass: the Material that Defines Us

This Honors Project is an exploration of the intersections between glass science, geology, glass art, and my own personal experience with glass