Nuclear and Ionising Radiation Engineering

Description

The doctoral programme in Nuclear and Ionising Radiation Engineering (PDINRI) received the Pathway to Excellence award from 2011 to 2013 (MEE2011-0496), and has also been given the Quality Award by the Ministry of Education (MEC) (MCD2005-00347) since 2005.

In the context of the Spanish strategic objectives for research, development and innovation, the programme is in line with the strategic action on Energy and Climate Change, with relevant branches in the area of public health, due to the medical applications of radiation. Within the new structure of the UPC Doctoral School, the PDINRI is included in the area of industrial engineering. In this area, it contributes to priority research lines in energy technology and medical technologies. The programme is related to the other similar postgraduate programmes in nuclear engineering and radiological sciences that are offered in the many technology universities worldwide (to give some examples from both sides of the Atlantic, https://ners.engin.umich.edu, http://nuclear.engr.utexas.edu or http://www.cnec.group.cam.ac.uk).

In the environment that is closest to our circumstances, the current situation and future perspectives for the use of ionising radiation (IR) in general, and the production of nuclear energy in particular, justify the need for this doctoral programme. For example, Catalonia has three nuclear power stations in operation (Ascó I, Ascó II and Vandellòs) that generate approximately 45% of the electrical energy consumed in the region. In the whole of Spain, there are eight nuclear power stations that provide around 20% of the electrical energy that is consumed.

As mentioned above, healthcare is another field in which IR plays a notable role with a high social impact. Particle accelerators (mainly electron accelerators), X-ray generators and radioactive sources of various kinds are used in hospitals for diagnostic and treatment purposes. Numerous techniques are involved. Diagnostic techniques include conventional radiography, gammagraphy, SPECT, PET and multimodal scanners and radioimmunoassay. Treatment techniques include external radiotherapy, brachytherapy, radiosurgery, etc.

The intensive use of IR is driving an interest in precise measurement of the absorbed dose and its effects on living tissues. These areas are the subject of studies of dosimetry and radiobiology, respectively. Currently, these problems are addressed from an experimental perspective or using advanced computer simulation techniques. In turn, radiological protection studies assess and optimise radiation fields in the environment of employees who are exposed in their work and the general public.

In another area, the construction in Catalonia of the first Spanish synchrotron light laboratory (called Alba, see http://www.cells.es) means that specialists in accelerator technology are likely to be needed in the future. The knowledge gained by students on our programme will enable them to understand the bases for constructing and operating facilities of this type.

Of particular importance due to its future prospects is the development of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project (see http://www.iter.org) in Cadarache, France, whose management office is in Barcelona. The ITER reactor, which is a ‘tokamak’ reactor, will be used to study energy production via the nuclear fusion of deuterium and tritium. The training of future researchers and technologists in this area contributes to our commitment to more sustainable, environmentally friendly energy models .

There are also many applications of ionising radiation in other industrial and research environments. Some of the many examples are level probes in tanks and silos, nuclear gauges, irradiators for the sterilisation of instruments and foods, quantitative analysis techniques in materials science, radiometric dating techniques, etc.

As can be seen, there are numerous, relevant direct and derived uses of IR in our society. PDINRI is designed to provide students with solid training that enables them to tackle research and development tasks associated with one of the three specialisations of the programme, that is, nuclear energy technology, the use of IR for medical and industrial purposes, or particle accelerator technology.

An additional objective is to bring students into contact with prestigious institutions dedicated to research, the development of technology or its use. INTE and SEN are in contact with various institutions, including Spanish nuclear power stations, the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) on the French-Swiss border, the Centre for Energy, Environment and Technology Research (Ciemat), the Spanish National Research Council (CSN) in Madrid, the Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale (ISPRA), the Joint Universities Accelerator School (JUAS) in Archamps, France, the Synchroton Light Laboratory (Alba) in Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain and the US Food and Drug Administration (CDRH-FDA), Silver Spring, MD, USA.

Particular attention is given to the topics that are most closely associated with specialised groups at the UPC, such as fission and fusion reactor technology, the safety of nuclear facilities, the design of new particle accelerators, medical radiophysics, radiological protection and the impact of IR on the environment and human health.

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