Applicability of abrasive waterjet cutting to irradiated graphite decommissioning

Characterization, dismantling and pre-disposal management of irradiated graphite (i-graphite) have an important role in safe decommissioning of several nuclear facilities which used this material as moderator and reflector. In addition to common radiation protection issues, easily volatizing long-lived radionuclides and stored Wigner energy could be released during imprudent retrieval and processing of i-graphite. With this regard, among all cutting technologies, abrasive waterjet (AWJ) can successfully achieve all of the thermo-mechanical and radiation protection objectives. In this work, factorial experiments were designed and systematically conducted to characterize the AWJ processing parameters and the machining capability. Moreover, the limitation of dust production and secondary waste generation has been addressed since they are important aspects for radiation protection and radioactive waste management. The promising results obtained on non-irradiated nuclear graphite blocks demonstrate the applicability of AWJ as a valid technology for optimizing the retrieval, storage, and disposal of such radioactive waste. These activities would benefit from the points of view of safety, management, and costs

Using the Sound Card as a Timer

Experiments in mechanics can often be timed by the sounds they produce. In such cases, digital audio recordings provide a simple way of measuring time intervals with an accuracy comparable to that of photogate timers. We illustrate this with an experiment in the physics of sports: to measure the speed of a hard-kicked soccer ball.Comment: 3 pages, 4 figures, Late

Fieldtrips and Virtual Tours as Geotourism Resources: Examples from the Sesia Val Grande UNESCO Global Geopark (NW Italy)

In the 20th anniversary year of the European Geopark Network, and 5 years on from the receipt of the UNESCO label for the geoparks, this research focuses on geotourism contents and solutions within one of the most recently designated geoparks, admitted for membership in 2013: the Sesia Val Grande UNESCO Global Geopark (Western Italian Alps). The main aim of this paper is to corroborate the use of fieldtrips and virtual tours as resources for geotourism. The analysis is developed according to: i) geodiversity and geoheritage of the geopark territory; ii) different approaches for planning fieldtrip and virtual tours. The lists of 18 geotrails, 68 geosites and 13 off-site geoheritage elements (e.g., museums, geolabs) are provided. Then, seven trails were selected as a mirror of the geodiversity and as container of on-site and off-site geoheritage within the geopark. They were described to highlight the different approaches that were implemented for their valorization. Most of the geotrails are equipped with panels, and supported by the presence of thematic laboratories or sections in museums. A multidisciplinary approach (e.g., history, ecology) is applied to some geotrails, and a few of them are translated into virtual tours. The variety of geosciences contents of the geopark territory is hence viewed as richness, in term of high geodiversity, but also in term of diversification for its valorization