World's leading nuclear physics scientists meet in Novosibirsk

The 4th Asian Forum for Accelerators and Detectors (AFAD-2013) is hosted by Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics on 25-26 February.

'We aim to discuss the future of accelerator related technology centres', said Academician Gennady Kulipanov, Deputy Director of Novosibirsk Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics said ahead of the conference. 

'Such centres are being organised all over the world and I expect them to be in Russia and in Novosibirsk. We also need to think about creating the consumer markets for radiation technologies. Take the task of utilising nuclear waste. There is quite a unique technology to ray the waste with proton beams which cuts its half-decay period from 200 hundred to just 20 years. It very profitable.'

Other areas where radiation technologies have proved successful include medicine, both in terms of various kinds of treatment and the sterilisation of equipment and uniforms.

Another application is adding endurance to various kinds of membrane and synthetic materials. In agriculture, the technology can preserve the quality of the grain harvest and also keep vegetables fresh. 

Alexander Fertman, head of the 'Nuclear Technologies' Cluster at the Skolkovo Foundation was quoted by the Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Science Media centre saying: 'We have worked with the Novosibirsk Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics in defining the shapes of such radiation technological centres. 

'Novosibirsk is one of the cities which has a very high level of expertise in radiation technologies and it should play one of the key roles, though there is no clear idea of whether it will become a leading centre.'

Participants at the forum in Akademgorodok, Novosibirsk have flown in from other Russian centres, Australia, China, India, Germany, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Portugal, Slovenia, and Taiwan. A key aim is 'to keep friendly discussions and sustainable collaborations' in the field of Accelerator and Detector work among Asian laboratories.