Nuclear Analysis and Imaging Group (NAI Group)

Group Leader: 

Katalin Gméling

Tel: +(36-1)-392 2222 / 1441  

E-mail: gmeling.katalin@ek.hun-ren.hu 

gmeling.katalin@bnc.hu 

The Nuclear Analysis and Imaging Group has two major research areas: macroscopic material structure and composition research, with the following topics: 

• Research in material sciences focuses mainly on porous materials (building materials). 

• Monitoring real-time processes by dynamic imaging and PGAA, main focus: fuel cells, batteries, equipment using hydrogen-containing filling material. 

• Biological research focuses on drought-tolerant plants. 

• ⁵⁷Fe and ¹¹⁹Sn Mössbauer spectroscopy focusing on interdisciplinary materials research, including the study of various functional glasses, magnetic materials, minerals, and molecular systems, addressing scientific problems in both fundamental and applied research. 

• ¹⁹⁷Au Mössbauer spectroscopy focusing on characterization of gold oxidation states and ligand environments in Au complexes. 

•  Environmental safety studies by investigation of electrical and electronic waste for circular economy. 

• Natural and artificial radioactivity assay by quantitative determination of the activity of radionuclides applying gamma spectroscopy. 

• Computer simulation: MCNP and FISPACT case studies 

The NAI Group utilizes the neutrons produced at the Budapest Research Reactor while operates five large-scale facilities of the BNC:  

• Prompt Gamma Activation Analysis (PGAA) 

• Neutron Induced Prompt-gamma Spectrometry (NIPS) station/facility.  

• Neutron Optics and Radiography for Material Analysis (NORMA) station/facility 

• Prompt Gamma Activation Imaging (PGAI), when NIPS and NORMA used jointly 

• Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA) laboratory 

• Neutron- and X-Ray-Radiography (RAD)  facility 

• In-beam and conventional Mössbauer Spectroscopy (MS) measuring stations. 

The NAI group has also complementary techniques like X-ray for nondestructive element analysis, imaging and macroscale structure analysis. 

Besides the large-scale facilities the group operates and applies: 

• two handheld X-ray fluorescence equipment (Delta Premium Innov-X/Olympus, and Bruker Tracer 5g/Bruker Handheld LLC.), 

• a handheld Raman spectrometer with a microscope (BWTEK i-Raman Plus 785H, Raman Video Micro-Sampling System), and 

• a 3D scanner (RANGEVision SMART 3D scanner). 

NAI Group also deals with user measurements through excellence-based proposals.