As forwarded from CNS
The Chalk River Branch of the Canadian Nuclear Society is pleased to offer a seminar entitled “Applications of Accelerators to Nuclear R&D”:
Where: JL Gray – Bennett Room (Back Entrance)
When: Wednesday, May 31st
Refreshments/Reception at 6:00 pm, Talk at 6:30 pm
Who: Dr. Bill Diamond
Price: Free, Open to the Public
Summary
Accelerators have been used for research at the forefront of Sub-Atomic Physics since their earliest development.
The continuous improvements in accelerator technology required to support the user communities has led to very robust technologies for both positive-ion and electron accelerators. This talk will explore several applications of electron accelerators that are possible with the accelerator technologies that have become available in the past few years. Electron accelerators are gaining wider applications in the production of medical isotopes, particularly some of the emerging isotopes such as Sc-47, Cu-67 and alpha emitters used for targeted alpha treatments. Photonuclear reactions can be used for loop experiments to produce intense heat, neutron emission and a modest fission rates with uranium fuel inside a pressure tube. The final idea discussed is the potential to produce an intense pulsed neutron source for neutron scattering applications.
Speaker Information
Bill Diamond received his PhD in Nuclear Physics from the University of Toronto in 1974 and then switched to Accelerator Physics for the next 23 years. He moved to the USA in 1976 for 13 years, working at Columbia University for two years followed by 6 years at Schlumberger-Doll Research Center in Connecticut (an oil services company) and 5 years at the Thomas-Jefferson Laboratories in Virginia. He worked on a variety of accelerator technologies ranging in size from a miniature (d,t) neutron generator for use in oil wells up to a high-energy superconducting rf electron linear accelerator at a new US Department of Energy facility in Virginia. Bill returned to CRNL in 1989 to work at the Tandem Accelerator Super Conducting Cyclotron (TASCC) facility. He conducted some key underlying research in high-voltage breakdown in vacuum before the TASCC facility was shut down in 1997. Bill then worked on developing novel mechanical components for CANDU reactors, including the CANDU 6, the ACR, and the Canadian Supercritical-Water Reactor (SCWR). Bill retired from CRL in 2010 and continued to work on several accelerator projects including facility design and safety analysis for a new Tandem accelerator facility at Queen’s University and as part of a small team at the Canadian Light Source, developing the use of an electron accelerator to produce the medical isotope, moly-99. Bill has worked on many aspects of accelerator technology, from underlying research through engineering, construction, operations and maintenance activities on at least six different types of accelerators. This experience, combined with many years working on CANDU reactors, enables Bill to bring a unique view to the topic of this speech.
A CNS membership is not required to attend this seminar; all are welcome. For more information, please contact Aidan Leach (613-584-3311 x44599 or 613-633-1158).