Nuclear and Materials Studies with Ion Beams

The main role of the Harwell Laboratory is to develop technology for nuclear power. Broadly this means the elucidation of the nuclear physics underlying fission and fusion concepts and the study and development of suitable materials for all aspects of the fuel cycle. An important and growing part of the Nuclear Physics Division´s (NPD) work is the development of programmes spanning both roles. This synergy is clearly apparent in the ion beam work based on the Harwell suite of charged particle accelerators. This report covers aspects of nuclear studies on the accelerators (viz. heavy ion reaction mechanisms; heavy ion range, energy loss and straggling) the associated development of techniques for materials analysis (viz. thin layer activation, microbeam analysis, multi-element profiling etc.) and the commercial exploitation of accelerators and techniques.