Plasma Accelerators for Nuclear Applications and Materials Analysis (PANAMA)

In laser-driven plasma accelerators, targets are bombarded with high intensity, femtosecond laser pulses to generate novel high brightness sources of high energy particle beams and radiation pulses. The particle beams or radiation pulses generated depend on the nature of the target, but include: electron, proton, neutron and light ion beams; and electromagnetic radiation pulses from IR to gamma. The PANAMA project will utilise these particle beams and radiation pulses for advanced materials testing and characterisation, using one of the most powerful lasers in the world at the Scottish Centre for the Application of Plasma Accelerators (SCAPA). The PANAMA facility will provide a unique capability; the very high energy of the X-/gamma-rays produced can penetrate very dense (or very large) materials and perhaps more importantly, provide the ability to combine imaging or spectroscopy with irradiation simultaneously on the same sample to enable in-situ real-time observations of material damage. This will enable fundamental science of nuclear materials, addressing research needs in materials characterisation across the nuclear sector, from new build and fuel development and manufacture, to decommissioning, waste management and geological disposal.

The proposed PANAMA facility will primarily benefit three main groups of stakeholders: 1) The Nuclear industry and directly associated research, 2) wider fields of research making use of nuclear and laser facilities, 3) citizens and society as a whole. The benefits to each group are outlined below:
1) Primarily the PANAMA facility will expand the UK's nuclear capabilities and directly benefit the nuclear energy sectors and the laser-plasma research discipline. It will enable previously impossible materials chemistry and engineering challenges to be addressed and has transformative potential in terms of their impact on nuclear science and engineering, and society. The proposed PANAMA facility will open up opportunities for commercialisation and engagement with end-users of novel materials and analytical technologies/capabilities for the preparation and analysis of radioactive and/or large samples for the nuclear fission research community. Further, the facility will provide (PhD and PDRA) training opportunities for the next generation of nuclear scientists and engineers. The training provided and skills developed will also enable UK researchers to make more efficient use of short periods of access to other NNUF facilities and to large scale national (e.g. CLF, Diamond Light Source, Dalton Cumbria Facility, NNL Central Labs) and international (e.g. ELI, APOLLON, ESRF, Soleil) facilities. We envisage the facility will attract and be utilised by multiple national and international users and enable a wide range of high impact research within the UK.
2) Impact is not restricted to those within the nuclear industry or laser research fields. Wider applications of laser-plasma sources exist in fields as varied as security (e.g. X-ray methods for penetrating dense materials to enable the detection of contraband materials), healthcare technologies (e.g. in cancer diagnosis and treatment) and space science (e.g. investigating space radiation damage to electronics and developing technologies to prevent such damage from occurring) and as such the new facility will enhance research in such fields and lead to wider societal impact. The highly multidisciplinary nature of the PANAMA facility within a university environment means that users can readily obtain help and advice from a large team of nuclear scientists and laser-plasma researchers that encourages peer-to-peer learning and skills development. The multidisciplinary nature of the envisaged user projects will also help to bring together researchers from different communities to interact on solving scientific and technical challenges across sectors. The proposed facility will also provide a platform for training a pool of new nuclear scientists and engineers in a multi-disciplinary area of research, covering lasers, optics, plasmas, radiation, materials, spectroscopy and imaging.
3) In addition to the societal impact mentioned above the application of laser-plasma sources for nuclear science and engineering has a strong potential for safeguarding the UK's nuclear future through providing evidence based engineering strategies. This will lead to cost reductions in existing and future nuclear facilities through efficiencies gained as a result of novel materials characterisation. Outreach activities showcasing the capabilities and ongoing nuclear research at the proposed PANAMA facility will facilitate public acceptance of nuclear new build and the geological disposal of radioactive wastes. This will help the UK meet its legally binding carbon budgets and safely manage radioactive waste. Further, the University of Strathclyde has a strong track record in engaging with school and college students to increase their interests in science and engineering, specifically to increase the number of women in science and engineering. Through participating in such events we aim to promote and increase the number of women in the nuclear industry.