Management

	General Director: RIMSKY-KORSAKOV, Alexander Andreevich Doctor of Physics and Mathematics
	General Director Deputy on Research and Development: ANDERSON, Evgeny Borisovich Doctor of Geology and Mineralogy
	General Director Deputy on Research and Development: ROMANOVSKY, Valery Nikolaevich Candidate of Chemistry
NO PICTURE AVAILABLE	General Director Deputy on Research and Development: BUTOMO, Sergej Viktorovich Candidate of Chemistry

Contact Information

Mailing address:
28, 2d Murinsky pr.
194021 Saint Petersburg, Russia

Phone: 7 (812) 247-5641 or 7 (812) 247-5737

Fax: 7 (812) 247-5781 or 7 (812) 247-8095

E-mail: ark@ri.spb.su or moshkov@atom.nw.ru

History

Khlopin Radium Institute Scientific Production Association (KRI SPA) was established in 1988 at State Radium Institute that was founded in 1922 by Academician V.I. Vernadsky.

State Radium Institute appeared to be the birthplace of the Russian nuclear science and engineering. An integral multi-faceted approach towards problems of radioactivity, characteristic of the founders of the Institute, Academicians V.I. Vernadsky and V.G. Khlopin, has been reflected in the organizational structure of the Institute, combining physical, chemical and radiogeochemical studies.

The Russian radiochemistry was born at Khlopin Radium Institute, as well as major regularities of precipitation, sorption and extraction of radioactive elements were identified there and then implemented in industrial-scale radiochemical technologies.

The Russian physics of atomic nucleus was also born and developed at Radium Institute. The alpha-decay of atomic nuclei theory was created at the Institute, the first in Europe cyclotron was started there, spontaneous uranium fission, as well as the Russian neutron physics, atomic nuclei fission physics and gamma-defectoscopy were discovered there.

Apart from V.I. Vernadsky and V.G. Khlopin, many other outstanding scientists worked at Radium Institute, such as: Academicians A.I. Alikhanov, A.A. Grinberg, S.N. Vernov, A.P. Vinogradov, S.P. Kapitsa, I.V. Kurchatov, P.I. Lukirsky, B.P. Nikol'sky. A.E. Fersman, G.N. Flerov, D.I. Scherbakov; Corresponding Members of the USSR Academy of Science: V.V. Belousov, V.M. Vdovenko, G.A. Gamov, I.I. Gurevich, M.G. Mescheryakov, B.A. Nikitin, I.E. Starik, et al.

After the World War II, Radium Institute developed the first Russian process for plutonium separation from irradiated uranium that made it possible to provide industrial plutonium production at radiochemical sites for defense production needs. Ionizing irradiation doses and other radiation measurements were initiated and other pioneering nuclear physics activities started.

In the 50's and 60's, the major efforts at Radium Institute were focused on radiochemical research for the Soviet nuclear industry, as well as fundamental and applied research in the atomic nuclear physics. In the 70's and 80's, the major efforts became focused on nuclear power system spent fuel reprocessing, nuclear physics research, development of radioisotope production for various industrial needs, radioenvironmental research, including mitigation of Chernobyl accident consequences.

Currently, the KRI SPA is involved in nuclear physics, radiochemical, geochemical and environmental research, mainly associated with nuclear power engineering and radioecology. They are also involved in the following Federal Programs: Fundamental Nuclear Physics, Fuel and Energy, Environmental Safety of Russia, New Materials, etc., as well as in many international projects in nuclear physics, radiochemistry, radioecology and radiogeochemistry.

R&D Facilities

Experimental Facilities

KRI SPA possesses unique experimental facilities that allow to perform research in various fields of nuclear power science and engineering. The KRI SPA radiochemical facility that is located in the town of Gatchina of Leningrad Oblast has 13 hot cells for handling radioactive materials up to 10,000 gram-equivalents of radium. There are a few systems there for radionuclide extraction and sorption separation, radioactive waste hot pressing, plasma chemistry systems, thereby making it possible to perform tests of radiochemical and technological processes on actual high-level radioactive waste to provide a complete cycle of developing an idea into a specific process to be applied at the radiochemical sites.

The KRI SPA facilities in St. Petersburg have state-of-the art equipment for performing R&D efforts in nuclear physics, radiochemistry and analytical chemistry, as well as isotope production. The equipment includes but is not limited to: ÌÃÖ-20 and ÝÃ-5 accelerators, neutron generators, systems for precise measurements of nuclear physical constants, testing non-destructive methods of nuclear fuel burnup monitoring and radionuclide production for medical needs. The radiochemical facilities have precise equipment that allows to apply chemical, spectral, luminescent, mass-spectrometric, roentgenographic and other analytical methods. The information processing technologies are also widely applied at KRI SPA.

KRI SPA Organizational Structure

The KRI SPA consists of:

• Radium Institute located on two sites in St. Petersburg (28, 2nd Murinsky pr. and 1, Roentgen str.), including:
• Department of Physics
• Department of Special Radiochemical Technologies
• Department of Isotopes
• Department of Radiation Monitoring, Environmental Research and Radioactive Waste Processing
• Department of Analytical Research
• Division of Fundamental Research in Chemistry of Radioactive Elements and Inorganic Chemistry
• Department of Radioactive Materials Technologies
• Department of Non-Traditional Defense Conversion Research
• Experimental Facility on Radioactive Materials Technologies in the town of Gatchina of Leningrad Oblast
• Experimental Facility on the town of Sosnovy Bor of Leningrad Oblast
• Radiometric Station in the town of Zelenogorsk
• Emergency Response Center of Radiation Environmental Control and Monitoring "Radium Institute"
• Academician V.I. Vernadsky Memorial Museum
• Subsidiary companies associated with the KRI SPA research activities.

On June 1, 1996, the total number of people working at KRI SPA was 990 , 680 of whom have been involved in research. The KRI SPA staff includes one Corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Science, one Corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Natural Science, 25 Post-Doctors and 175 Ph.Ds., 14 Laureates of National Prize in Science and Technology. There are four Thesis Evaluation Councils at KRI SPA associated with the following specialties: physics of nucleus and elementary particles, instrumentation for measuring ionizing irradiation, x-ray instrumentation, radiochemistry, technology of rare and irradiated elements, there is a post graduate day-time course. The All-Russia "Radiokhimiya" magazine is published there that is translated into English.

Major Areas of Activity

Nuclear Physics Research

Nuclear Physics Research Focus Areas:

• Development of nuclear power fundamentals by studying nuclear fission and neutron interactions
• Development of concepts for creating an environmentally safe fuel cycle, including physical research in radioactive waste transmutation by means of accelerators
• Fundamental research in nucleus-nucleus interactions
• Fundamental research in nuclear spectroscopy
• Measurements, systematization and evaluation of nuclear data for low and medium energy excitations, development of computerized nuclear data base for science and technology needs
• Obtaining experimental and theoretical data on ionizing irradiation transfer through substance and studies of its affect on the materials
• Development of physical foundations and generation of radiopharmaceuticals for nuclear medicine to develop Nuclear Medicine Center in the North-Eastern area of Russia
• Studies and modeling of radiation and radioecological situations resulted from radiation accidents
• Non-destructive monitoring of nuclear reactors, development of automatic radiation safety monitoring systems, etc.

KRI SPA has the following projects under the Russian National Science and Technology Program: Fundamental Nuclear Physics:

• Studies of nucleus structure and mechanism of nuclear interactions initiated by heavy ions
• Development of new types of detectors of nuclear irradiation

The KRI SPA has the following international projects in nuclear physics:

• As ISTC initiative:

• Feasibility Studies of Accelerator Applications for Conversion of Defense Production Plutonium and Transmutation of Long-Lived Radioactive Waste; counterpart: LANL (USA).
• Measurements of Activation Cross Sections Important for Thermonuclear Reactors; counterparts: LANL (USA), JAERI (Japan), PTB (Germany), IRK (Austria).
• Measurements of Neutron Fission Spectra Measurements for Secondary Actinides. Spontaneous Fission of Curium Isotopes; counterparts: JAERI (Japan), BELGONUCLEAIRE, Belgium, COGEMA, France, Departimento Energia ENEA, Italy.

• As DOE initiative:

• International Nuclear Safety Program. SHELTER Nuclear and Radiation Safety Evaluation; counterpart: PNNL.
• Studies of Interaction Cross Sections of Charged Particles within the Range of Intermediate Energy Values from 100 MeV to 1 GeV; counterpart: BNL.

• As IAEA (Vienna, Austria) initiative:

• Development of Computer Models for Nuclear Reactor Decommissioning.

• As OECD Nuclear Energy Agency Initiative:

• Studies of Nuclear Matter Dynamics Resulted from Nuclear Fission (FYDIC project); counterpart: University of Lund, Sweden.

• Under Celsius Heavy Ion Collaboration Program of the European Organization on Nuclear Research, Uppsala, Sweden:

• Multiple Generation of Particles in Thick Nuclear Matter during Interaction within 60 - 160 A/GeV; counterparts: Sweden, Norway, Denmark, France, Italy.

• Under Russian - Finnish Cooperative Research Program:

• High-efficiency Neutron Detection System for Evaluating Nuclear Fission Dynamics in Reactions with Heavy Ions (HENDES Project); counterpart: University of Uvyaskula, Finland.
• Studies of Nuclear Reactions Mechanisms and Nuclear Structure on Charged Particles Clusters; counterparts: University of Helsinki, Abo Academy of Turku.

• Under Cooperative Research Program with the University of Uppsala, Sweden:

• Studies of Desorption of Ultra-Heavy Atomic Clusters Affected by Multi-Charged Ions by Microscopy of Atomic Forces, Electronic Microscopy and Mass-Spectrometric Methods.

• Under Cooperative Research Program with the Institute of Nuclear Physics of Darmstadt, Germany:

• Studies of Spraying Metal Films by Electronic Processes Initiated by Heavy Ions of High Energies.

Fundamental Radiochemical Research

• Development of unique methods of solid phase synthesis, studies of chemical properties and spectroscopy of solid phase of radioactive elements.
• Generation and studies of chemical and physical/chemical properties of metal organic compounds of radioactive elements, including: volatile complexes of actinides, lanthanides and technetium.
• Chemistry of liquid extraction and sorption processes with involvement of radioactive elements, development of new extraction systems with specific extraction capabilities.
• Studies on physical and chemical behavior of radionuclides in environmental objects.

• Conceptual development of a nuclear fuel cycle in Russia regarding NPP spent fuel reprocessing, fabrication of secondary nuclear fuel, including mixed uranium plutonium fuel, development of a new approach to provide safe radioactive waste management by means of its partitioning.
• Development of a new concept of safe long-term storage of spent nuclear fuel, high-level radioactive waste and fissile materials
• Development of radioactive waste processing technologies that provide its safe immobilization in stable matrices and prevent its migration into environment
• Supervision of design and construction of RT-2 Plant on NPP spent fuel reprocessing.

KRI SPA international cooperation in radiochemistry is focused on radioactive waste management problems, i.e.: management of radioactive waste containing long-lived radionuclides, its storage, processing and disposal. The international cooperation also includes safeguards of nuclear materials under the international agreements on non-proliferation of nuclear weapons.

In this field, Radium Institute performs cooperation under the joint programs, projects and contracts with the following countries and organizations:

• IAEA: Radium Institute functions as a Russian National Laboratory in the field of high-precision radiochemical analysis (analysis of spent nuclear fuel elements and other nuclear materials) under the IAEA guarantees on monitoring nuclear weapons non-proliferation, providing scientific and technological support for the IAEA , as well as developing and certifying standard samples.
• USA: DOE, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, American Nuclear Society, Geological Society, Westinghouse Idaho Nuclear Company, SAIC.
• United Kingdom: BNF plc
• France: Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique, Institute of Nuclear Safeguards and Safety, COGEMA, CEDEX
• Belgium: Central Bureau on Nuclear Measurements
• Japan: JAERI
• China: Chinese State Corporation of Nuclear Industry

Radiecological Focus Areas

• Development of a full-scale emergency response center of radiation control and monitoring for protection of public and environment during radiation related accidents at the Russian nuclear centers, primarily, for inadvertent situations in the North-Eastern area of Russia
• Development of automatic control systems for monitoring radiation situation at the Russian nuclear sites (REFLEX ACS of Russian Minatom), as well as similar regional systems, including those for Administrations of St. Petersburg and Leningrad Oblast.
• Continuous independent monitoring of radioecological and ecological situations in the area of Sosnovy Bor of Leningrad Oblast (Leningrad NPP 30-kilometer area)
• Evaluation and mitigation of ocean radioactive contamination, including the Baltic Sea area, studies of probable sea contamination in the area of sinking of the Komsomolets submarine
• Complex studies of radiation situation in the areas of nuclear sites
• Studies and development of migration models for natural and defense production induced radionuclides
• Development of evaluated radioecological data bases, algorithms for processing and evaluating of radioecologicaol data for supporting decision-making process
• Modification and improvements of nuclear physical and radiochemical methods for precise identification of ultra-small concentrations of radionuclides in environmental objects, including lab-to-lab calibration and measurements efforts under quality assurance programs
• Development of new generation instrumentation for detecting ultra-small concentrations of radionuclides in environmental objects, including monitoring nuclear explosions.

• Being a Russian National Laboratory, KRI SPA is involved in the radioecological aspect of the HELCOM Program (Helsinki Commission) and MORS-6 (studies of the Baltic Sea contamination)
• Involvement in the KolaNet international project on developing a united automatic radiation situation monitoring system of Scandinavian countries and North-Eastern area of Russia
• Development of United Russian-Finnish Emergency Response center for public and environmental protection during radiation incidents and accidents
• Development of computer models and data base on radioactive contamination, characteristics of potential contamination sources, evaluation and verification of the obtained data, in collaboration with Sandia National Laboratories, USA
• Continuous involvement in quality assurance programs on environmental contamination measurements performed by IAEA and U.S. DOE
• Contaminant transport studies in various environmental media under the BIOMOVS II (IAEA) program

Radiogeochemical Focus Areas

• Fundamental research on hydrogeological factors and geochemical barriers to prevent contaminant transport in rock
• Development of scientific concepts of reliable immobilization of radioactive waste in geological repositories
• Radiogeochronological research

• Radiogeochemical research on identifying new formations in the 4th unit of the Chernobyl NPP (Chernobyl "lava") to evaluate development of the Chernobyl accident, in collaboration with the Institute of Nuclear Safeguards and Safety (IPSN), France
• Similar research focused on analysis and forecast of long-term behavior of the fuel in the UKRYTIE object to perform its environmentally safe decommissioning, in collaboration with PNNL, USA

• Development and implementation of technological processes for obtaining ultra-pure silicon and its compounds for microelectronics and fiber optical communication lines
• Development of optimized flow sheets for obtaining rare earth elements using raw materials provided by the Russian plants.
• Studies of plasma processes of generating ultra-pure ceramic materials for construction needs
• Development of technologies for processing industrial waste and separating valuable components in an environmentally safe manner

• Development of processes for generating radionuclides and their deep decontamination
• Design, production and assurance of reliability of operation of radioisotope sources of ionizing irradiation, heat and light
• Development of precision methods of measurements and certification of radiation and physical parameters of radionuclide sources. KRI SPA functions as Evaluation Center on certifying radionuclide sources
• Production and certification of standard sources for ionizing irradiation measurements
• Synthesis of organic compounds with trace quantities of radionuclides for medical and biological needs

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