Researchers from the Accelerator Technology & Applied Physics Division and Nuclear Science Division at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have demonstrated an enhanced population of isomer states (metastable states of atomic nuclei with a different energy and half-life than other states of the same nucleus) in atomic nuclei using ultrashort electron bunches from a laser-plasma accelerator (LPA). This work has identified a potential new and improved method for populating isomer states.
Nuclear Data Program: From Seaborg to Nuclear Structure and Beyond
The Nuclear Data Program at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) and the University of California Berkeley (UCB) is rooted in a tradition of groundbreaking research, tracing its origins to the pioneering discoveries of isotopes by Glenn T. Seaborg and his team. This includes technetium-99m, which remains sought after in modern nuclear medicine with millions of diagnostic procedures performed annually worldwide. During the first 50 years, the nuclear data efforts were primarily focused on decay and neutron capture data, forming a cornerstone of nuclear science.
Over the last decade, the program has diversified and expanded into actively addressing nuclear data needs for applied areas such as plasma nuclear science, isotope production for space and medical applications, and nuclear energy innovations from fusion to advanced fission systems as well as the fundamental nuclear and astrophysical sciences. Recent highlights include results on isomer populations using laser driven electron beams [1] and providing new and improved nuclear data critical for molten salt chloride reactors, key to next-generation nuclear energy systems [2].
Today, the program’s activities are broader than ever, addressing pressing needs in nonproliferation, national security, and nuclear science applications. For instance, LBNL and UCB researchers are advancing data collection in the nuclear quasicontinuum and refining models to support nuclear-plasma interactions and energy production.
Looking forward, the Nuclear Data Program aims to continue its efforts aligned with the national plan to meet nuclear data needs across basic sciences and applications. This includes a commitment to train the next generation of scientists and engineers, ensuring sustained innovation and expertise. By integrating cutting-edge methodologies with domestic and global collaborations, the program is poised to maintain its leadership in shaping the future of nuclear data efforts.
For more information, visit LBNL’s Nuclear Data and UCB’s Nuclear Data Program .
NSD’s Nuclear Data Group becomes the Nuclear Data Program
The Nuclear Science Division is pleased to announce that the Nuclear Data Group in the Accelerator-Based Low-Energy Program will be reclassified as the Nuclear Data Program, effective November 1st, 2024. This decision reflects the scientific and financial independence of the nuclear data efforts at LBNL.
The elevation of the Program also serves as recognition of its leading role in the national and international nuclear data communities, and the growth of nuclear data initiatives in basic and applied research. With this change comes the appointment of Prof. Lee Bernstein as the Nuclear Data Program Head and Mathis Wiedeking as his Program Deputy.
The program, with its strong connection to the UC Berkeley Department of Nuclear Engineering, will continue to address the data needs of the basic and applied nuclear science community while training the next generation of nuclear scientists and engineers.
Nuclear Data
Program Head: Lee Bernstein
Program Deputy: Mathis Wiedeking
The goal of the Bay Area Nuclear Data Program is to address the data needs of the basic and applied nuclear science community while training the next generation of nuclear scientists and engineers in the process. We do this through a combination of experimental and evaluation activities. Most of our experimental work takes place at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory 88-Inch Cyclotron or at the Nuclear Technology Innovation Laboratory within the UC Berkeley Department of Nuclear Engineering
The Bay Area Nuclear Data Program works closely with the Bay Area Neutron Group (BANG) led by Bethany Goldblum and the Nuclear Science and Security Consortium (NSSC) on a wide variety of nuclear data, security, and education-related efforts.
Our research areas include:
- Fission Evaluation and Experiment
- Isotope Production Cross Section Measurement and Modeling
- Neutron Scattering Evaluation
- The development of python Toolkits Neutron Capture and
- -ray+Xray coincident decay data analysis.
- Neutron Scattering Measurement using GENESIS
- Nuclear Structure Evaluation for ENSDF
- Photon Strength Function and Nuclear Level Density
- Nuclear Data Coordination Activities
- Thermal Neutron Capture
- Global Heavy Charged-Particle Decay Database
- Nuclear Physics in Laser-Driven Plasmas
For more information, please visit our group page (external link).
Passing of Rick Firestone
It is with great sadness that we learned of the passing of Rick Firestone on September 9th.
Rick was a titan in the nuclear data world. In addition to his seminal work in the 8th edition of the table of isotopes, Rick was a visionary regarding the importance of neutron capture and scattering data who constantly pushed the nuclear structure evaluation community to think outside of its normal confines. He was also a wonderful mentor with an insatiable curiosity and sense of humor. He will be sorely missed.
NSD Secures Funding to Train Future Nuclear Data Evaluators
NSD’s Nuclear Data Group has secured funding of ~$1.2m from the United States Nuclear Data Program (USNDP) to train the next generation of nuclear data evaluators. This initiative is designed to address critical gaps in the availability of future nuclear data evaluators, with a focus on creating and updating essential databases that have far-reaching implications for national security, medical isotope production, nonproliferation, energy, and fundamental sciences like nuclear astrophysics.
The training program will primarily concentrate on developing a comprehensive Nuclear Level Density (NLD) database and updating the existing Photon Strength Function (PSF) database. These two specific types of nuclear data are essential to understanding nuclear interactions, particularly in the quasi-continuum — a region where energy levels within a nucleus are so dense that they cannot be identified individually. The PSF, which measures the probability of photon-induced excitations, and the NLD, which quantifies the number of available energy levels in a nucleus, are crucial for predicting nuclear behavior in scenarios involving unstable nuclei.
Recognizing the importance of accurate and comprehensive nuclear data, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) initiated a project to improve the global availability of PSF data, resulting in the release of a new PSF database in 2019. Building on this foundation, the IAEA, in collaboration with the Nuclear Science Division and other institutes, aims to establish a dedicated NLD database by 2028. The new USNDP initiative will contribute significantly to this global effort while simultaneously training two emerging scientists to become fully proficient nuclear data evaluators.
Under the mentorship of Dr. Mathis Wiedeking, the trainees will be responsible for the annual update of the PSF database and will be key contributors to the establishment of the NLD database. Through this program, they will gain expertise in the compilation, assessment, and evaluation of quasi-continuum nuclear data, positioning the USNDP at the forefront of quasi-continuum data activities.
