[en] ANTARES is an advanced accelerator-based facility dedicated to accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) and ion beam analysis (IBA). Research programs based on the AMS spectrometer include applications of ¹⁴C, ¹⁰Be, ¹²⁹I and other long-lived radionuclides in quaternary science studies, global climate change and nuclear safeguards. Ion beam analysis methods based on elastic recoil detection are used for the in-situ determination of specific elements or isotopes in surface materials. New analytical systems under construction will be presented, including an AMS beamline for the measurement of actinide isotopes and a heavy ion microprobe for elemental imaging with micron resolution. It is estimated that these capabilities will allow the development of exciting research programs in materials and life sciences and foster novel applications in industrial research

[en] The Australian Institute of Nuclear Science and Engineering (AINSE) has enabled research workers from its member universities to make extensive use of the (sometimes unique) radiation facilities at Lucas Heights. This has resulted in a better understanding of the action of gamma, X-ray and electron beam radiation on physical, chemical and biological systems, and of the radical and excited species which are produced. A selection of the ensuing first class publications is described. Over the years the emphasis has changed from the obtaining of a fundamental understanding of the science and the refining of the techniques to utilising these in attacking problems in other fields. Examples are given of the use of radiation chemistry techniques in metal-organic, polymer, excited state and biological chemistry. In radiation biology, the early emphasis on genetics and on the production of chromosomal aberrations by radiation has given way to molecular biology and cancer treatment studies. In all of this, AAEC/ANSTO and CSIRO have played major roles. In addition, AINSE has organised a continuing series of specialist conferences which has facilitated interaction between research groups within the universities and involved other investigators in Australia, New Zealand and the rest of the world

[en] Australia's current nuclear regulatory arrangements reflect two major factors: that we are a federation, with a constitutional division of powers between the Commonwealth and the States, and that we have no nuclear industry, other than uranium mining. Australia's only nuclear facilities are operated by a Commonwealth instrumentality, ANSTO. Current Commonwealth regulatory arrangements are a response to international treaty commitments -principally the NPT (Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons) -and to the commencement of commercial uranium mining and export in the late 1970's. Although at present no nuclear industry activities, other than mining, are in prospect, this might not always be the case, and with the establishment of ARPANSA (the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency) it is timely to give some thought to regulatory arrangements which might be appropriate to Australia's future circumstances. This paper will discuss the regulation activities relating to the nuclear fuel cycle , i e activities involved with the production and use of nuclear materials (uranium, thorium and plutonium) for the generation of energy through nuclear fission

[en] Fish otoliths form by the accretion of layers of calcium carbonate and organic-rich material that often form distinctive layers over time scales ranging from days to years. These layers are not resorbed during the life of the fish and have potential to provide data relevant to both the biology of the fish and the environment to which the fish has been exposed. Environmental variability based on otoliths can be estimated through measures of stable oxygen isotopes, trace elements, and the widths of both daily and annual increments. Although otoliths can be dated based on measurement of radiocarbon by accelerator mass spectrometry this method is relatively expensive. An alternative method for dating golden perch otoliths is based on measurements of isoleucine D/L ratios. Miller and Rosewater (1995) demonstrated that golden perch otoliths are near a perfect closed system for racemization and that otoliths have potential of dating surrounding sediments older than 100 ka. Despite the suitability of these structures for racemization measurements, many of collections of Pleistocene otoliths from Willandra Lakes are not appropriate for determination of sample age. Most otoliths sampled in the region have been derived from surface collections, while it is recommended that samples should have been buried at least 1 m during most of their history. Therefore, the majority of existing otolith collections are not appropriate for geochronology or palaeothermometry. Nevertheless, when used in conjunction with radiocarbon dates, racemization data may be of value in assessing the relationship among otoliths in an assemblage. Radiocarbon ages and isoleucine D/L ratios were determined for 30 otoliths collected from Willandra Lakes. The rostrum of each otolith was analysed for D/L ratios and a portion of the posterior of the same otolith was analysed for radiocarbon by accelerator mass spectrometry. Sample weights for both analyses ranged from 14.0 to 25.6 mg. The central portion of the otolith was sectioned serially in the transverse plane and these sections were prepared for trace element and stable isotope analyses

[en] Over the last fifteen years surveys and excavations in the United Arab Emirates and Sultanate of Oman have revealed a widespread and distinctive material culture dating to the late second and first millennium BC. In this paper the results of PIXE-PIGME analysis of ceramics from the Iron II period (1100-600 BC) are presented. In combination with ceramic distribution data, the analysis permits the identification of ceramic production areas. More importantly, however, the analysis, when combined with environmental and subsistence strategy data, provides an insight into the relationship between agricultural intensification and ceramic production and the varying degrees of economic complexity which existed at this time

[en] Highlights of achievements during 1996-1997 at the Australian Nuclear Science and technology (ANSTO) include: release of the new ANSTO Strategic Plan for the period till June 2000 and the establishment of a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) of the Board. In accordance with the Strategic Plan, ANSTO has continued to focus its activities in six core business areas. The major outcomes and outputs of this work are outlined. The majority of ANSTO strategic research was directed at several topics launched during the year, including: international cooperative research to enhance safety of nuclear facilities and safeguards for nuclear materials, environmental dynamics, global climate change, radioactive waste management, ecological sustainability of the mining and mineral industries, radionuclides and radiopharmaceuticals for the 21st century and the design and process of novel interfaces. During the year major upgrades were made to he National Medical Cyclotron (NMC) and the Australian National Tandem Accelerator for Applied Research (ANTARES). The Annual Report documents the uses of these facilities by universities, industry, medicine and Government. Details are also provided of the organization development and support which support the core scientific areas. The financial statement for the year under review is also included

[en] The appendices contains additional relevant information on: Environment Australia EIS Guidelines, composition of the Study Team, Consultation Activities and Resuits, Relevant Legislation and Regulatory Requirements, Exampies of Multi-Purpose Research Reactors, Impacts of Radioactive Emissions and Wastes Generated at Lucas Heights Science and Technology Centre, Technical Analysis of the Reference Accident, Flora and Fauna Species Lists, Summary of Environmental Commitments and an Outline of the Construction Environmental Management Plan Construction Environmental Management Plan

[en] In this paper we develop further an asymptotic expansion recently derived by Kowalenko and Frankel for a particular Kummer function that is related to the incomplete gamma function. This asymptotic expansion is written in terms of new polynomials, whose coefficients can be evaluated by employing a novel graphical approach in conjunction with the theory of partitions. An extensive numerical analysis is performed to demonstrate the high level of accuracy of the asymptotic expansion. We also provide estimates for some of the terms in the remainder which are obtained via Dingle's theory of terminants. (authors)

[en] While the shell model is the most fundamental of nuclear structure models, states in light nuclei also have been described successfully in terms of clusters. Indeed, Wildemuth and Tang have shown a correspondence between the cluster and shell models, the clusters arising naturally as correlations out of the shell model Hamiltonian. For light nuclei, the cluster model reduces the many-body problem to a few-body one, with interactions occurring between the clusters. These interactions involve particle exchanges, since the nucleons may still be considered somewhat freely moving, with their motion not strictly confined to the clusters themselves. Such is the relation of the cluster model to the shell model. For a realistic shell model then, one may expect some evidence of clustering in the wave functions for those systems in which the cluster model is valid. The results obtained using the multi-ℎωshell model wave functions are closer in agreement with experiment than the results obtained using the 0ℎωwave functions. Yet in all cases, that level of agreement is not good, with the calculations underpredicting the measured values by at least a factor of two. This indicates that the shell model wave functions do not exhibit clustering behavior, which is expected to manifest itself at small momentum transfer. The exception is the transition to the 7^-/2 state in ⁷Li, for which the value obtained from the γ-decay width is in agreement with the value obtained from the MK3W and (0 + 2 + 4)ℎωshell model calculations

[en] Electron form factors and proton scattering data to discrete states in light mass nuclei ( ¹²C and ⁶Li) have been analyzed using fully microscopic theories of the scatterings. Large basis shell model calculations have been used to determine the unique set of one body density matrix elements (OBDME) for electron and proton scattering in both elastic and inelastic channels. When meson exchange current (MEC) corrections are taken into account with the electron form factors and when the proton scattering calculations include all E exchange effects with realistic two nucleon (NN) interactions in the nuclear medium, the electron scattering form factors and the cross sections and analyzing powers from proton scattering (in the energy range 65 to 200 MeV) to discrete states of nuclei can be very well predicted. With credible large basis shell model descriptions of the structure, no a posteriori adjustments to the results of calculations with this approach need be made to reproduce most current data. (authors)