Institute for Nuclear Research

            Institute for Nuclear Research (INR) of Academy of Sciences of Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic (AS UkrSSR) was founded in 1970 on the base of a number of the Institute of Physics of AS UkrSSR departments, which were involved into the researches in the field of nuclear physics.

            Academician of AS UkrSSR M. V. Pasichnyk was assigned as the first director of INR. Since 1974 till 1983 the Institute was headed by Academician of AS UkrSSR O. F. Nemets, and since 1984 prof. I. M. Vyshnevskyi was assigned as the director of INR.

            The experimental base of the Institute is presented by the unique nuclear physical facilities (research nuclear reactor WWR-M, “hot cells” for the work with high activity radioactive materials, accelerators U-240 and U-120, tandem-generator EGP-10K) which allow to carry out wide-range scientific research not only for the collaborators of the Institute but also for the workers of another scientific institutions.

            The basic directions of the fundamental and applied works of INR include nuclear physics, atomic energy, solid state physics and radiation physics, plasma physics, radioecology and radiobiology. Research program of the Institute is performed at 27 scientific, scientific and technical departments. At the Institute around 760 collaborators are working including 211 scientific workers where one is Academician of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (NASU), one is Corresponding member of NASU, 42 doctors of sciences and 154 candidates of sciences.

            With regard to the major Institute’s traditional directions widely known scientific schools were created and headed by the outstanding scientists: neutron physics (Academician of AS UkrSSR O. I. Lejpunskyi and Academician of AS UkrSSR M. V. Pasichnyk), physics of nuclear reactions with charged particles (Academician of AS UkrSSR O. F. Nemets), microscopic theory of nucleus (Corresponding Member of AS UkrSSR V. M. Strutinsky, Dr. of physical and mathematical sciences V. M. Kolomiets), nuclear spectroscopy (Corresponding Member of AS UkrSSR G. D. Latyshev and Academician of NASU I. M. Vyshnevskyi).

            The collaborators of INR after Chornobyl accident were in the first ranks, who actively participated in the struggle of its consequences. The level of environment contamination in the different regions of Ukraine was determined, a number of devices and facilities for the control for radionuclides migration in the environment with account of fuel contained masses of the object “Ukryttya”, which sufficiently soften the consequences of Chornobyl accident, were elaborated and produced.

            At present in the Institute a great attention is given to the development and implementation to the industry the modern resources sustaining and plasma technologies. In particular the modern dosimetry provision and the newest monitoring system of radiation pressure to the vessels of     WWR-1000 reactors was created and implemented on Nuclear Power Plans (NPP) of Ukraine. All these allow receiving the information on the high scientific technical level needed for accident free operation of nuclear energy units and effective monitoring of its radiation resources.

            The regional technological line for the radiation pasteurization and preservation of food products is created on the technical base of INR. The use of such line on the industrial scale will facilitate the protection of consumers from infected diseases and prevention of the products loses while storage.

            Automatic highly reliable and safety static electricity neutralizers were created. They give the possibility sufficiently decrease its harmful influence during the application in different field of industry (chemical, polygraph, paper, textile etc.)

            Special types of the detectors for spectroscopy of charged nuclear particles are carried out and performed, the usage of which greatly increase the registration effectiveness and the quality of nuclear physical experiments, which are realized at the accelerators of INR and Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (Dubna, Russia).

            Fundamentally new plasma metallization setup for the effective metallization of small parts which can be used in electronics, optics, micromechanics and plasma-chemical reactor is proposed. The plasma metallization setup gives the possibility to synthesize the new layer materials from metals and gases and can be applied in special metallurgy.

            The technological devices for the work with highly active samples iodine-131 and technetium were developed and can be used for the production of radiopharmaceuticals.

            The results of radioecological and radiobiological researches, obtained by the scientists of INR have the important meaning for the ecological expertise during the design of the nuclear energy objects and also for the estimation of nuclear industrial complex influence to environment.

            The professional training and retraining of the specialists, who are involved in the field of the physical protection, accounting and control of nuclear materials, is organized in proper ministries, institutions and on the nuclear objects in Ukraine.

            The scientists made a considerable contribution to the world treasure of knowledge. A number of INR’s works are distinguished by State Awards of Ukraine and Awards of the Presidium of NASU named after well-known scientists. Since 2000 the scientific issue “Scientific papers of the Institute for Nuclear Research” is edited. Annually the scientific conferences are organized and more than 300 articles and some monographs of our scientists are published.

            The training of the staff through the post-graduate course is accomplished. Specialized Counsel on defense of dissertations for the academic degree of doctor and candidate of science on the following specialties like “physics of nucleus, elementary particles and high energies” and “fuel and nuclear energy facilities” is functioning. Many of qualified specialists from INR deliver lectures at high educational institutions.

            The Institute has wide range scientific contacts, Joint researches with scientists from Russia, the USA, France, Germany, Italy, Austria, Poland, Sweden, Holland, Japan and other countries are performed. The working links with IAEA are also supported. The Institute coordinates the activity of Ukrainian physicists in the work of Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (Dubna) and takes part in the work of coordination group functioning at “ENERGOATOM” providing the supervision of reactor vessel recourse management.

            All mentioned above allow the Institute to retain the high scientific level of the leading nuclear centre in Ukraine.