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SNMCS

School of Nuclear Material Characterization Studies


Mission:

To promote research and development in nuclear material characterization with regards to nuclear material accounting and control, education and training in effective implementation of safeguards and nuclear forensics.


Programs:

  • Nuclear material characterization
  • Non-destructive assay methods for nuclear materials
  • Deveopment of novel techniques for nuclear material analysis
  • Nuclear material control and accounting practices
  • Training in nuclear safeguards
  • Nuclear forensics
SNMCS

Major Programme of SNMCS

In the changing global scenario, there is a huge expansion in the Nuclear Material Accounting and Control (NMA&C) activities. For the effective implementation of NMA&C, India needs to disseminate this subject extensively and impart training among the occupational workers of civilian nuclear installations. The major objectives of the SNMCS would include:

  1. To establish an advanced infrastructure and demonstration Facility for human resource development in the practices of NMA &C. The Facility would generate expertise in the fields of
    • Practices of NMA&C and safeguards
    • Non-Destructive Analytical techniques especially gamma spectrometry, neutron counting systems and calorimetry.
    • Isotopic assay by gamma- and mass- spectrometry techniques
    • Low background counting and ultra trace level measurement techniques)
    • Wet chemistry analysis using electro analytical and spectroscopic methods for the precise and accurate determination of nuclear materials.
  2. To carry out Modeling and Simulation of Bulk Handling Facility for Safeguards Analysis and develop Facility simulator that tracks mass flow of Special Nuclear Material with time (Indo-US technical Exchange)
  3. To establish teaching and training facilities for the effective implementation of safeguards including NMA&C and its practices at national as well as international level.
  4. To promote the R&D activities for evolving new methodologies to detect and ascertain the causes for unaccounted losses of nuclear materials on a timely basis. In any facility, measurements are the heart of NMA&C, and an important component of safeguards as well as security Developing new methods to measure the nuclear material in destructive as well as non-destructive manner helps in enhancing the facility’s ability to detect the unauthorized removal.

SNMCS not only trains the NMA&C personnel to enhance their skill for precise and accurate measurement of nuclear material but also engages in developing new measurement methodologies.