Protactinium, a radioelement with unknown chemistry, is a key element : first actinide for which the 5f orbitals can be involved in chemical bonding, it is also naturally ocurring in envrionment, in the nuclear fuel cycle and also appear in the synthesis of innovative isotopes for medicine. Understanding the chemical behaviour of Pa in these compartments constitutes a great challenge especially since the basic chemistry of this element remains quite blurred ! In this project, we propose to switch to a new paradigm: "predict then experiment". Two main types of properties will be scrutinized, reactivity in terms of equilibrium constants between a set of ligands and protactinium(IV/V) and spectroscopy of protactium compounds. After an extensive methodological study and state-of-the-art theoretical predictions, we will set up prime electromigration, solvent extraction and spectroscopy (high-resolution XANES and laser spectrofluorimetry) experiments aiming at validating/improving the theoretical models and revealing this rare chemistry.

In the nuclear field, the components operating in the heart of reactors require materials that can present, in time, good mechanical strength under irradiation and that, most often in an aggressive environment. Currently the 304L is widely used but has limitations and alternative material would be interesting if it had significant gains in: - The decrease in activation at end of life - The increase in corrosion resistance - Reduced unsprung weight to hold in earthquake and weight gain for the onboard reactors. Titanium and its alloys are a good candidate, and are already used by the Russians in the field of propulsion. However, there is very little data to validate this public interest. This project aims to study the behavior of titanium and its alloys by irradiating medium to determine and provide the best possible behavior. The project will: - To study the behavior at the interface fluid-metal, the hydrogen uptake. - Study the effects on mechanical properties of the damage due to irradiation to predict degradation. - Understand the effects of irradiation on alpha and beta phases existing in all titanium alloys. Experimentally, the project proposes to use a limited number of types of radiation, heavy ions, the cyclotron radiation of ARRONAX, to appraise a piece of titanium alloy irradiated with neutrons and already completed by calculation for extrapolate the behavior more intense radiation. The entire study will use 304L steel as a base reference to compare with titanium alloys. Several industrial and academic players differ intervene to gain access to all relevant factors under study, and a large number of characterizations will be conducted for the full view before and after irradiation of the samples tested. If the titanium alloys are attractive, industrial uses will be considered in the internal structure of upper tank, steam generators, packaging containers of fuel new and used, as well as in other applications.

The innovative Opaque-Technology (OTech) derived from the LiquidO detection opens an unprecedented synergy between leading experts in medical and neutrino here proposing a new paradigm for medical imaging based on high precision antimatter ß+ detection. We propose to construct the first opaque liquid positron emission tomography system (LPET) in order to demonstrate and quantify its ability to fully characterise the annihilation pattern of both ß+ and ?-ß+ sources exploiting the latest machine learning techniques for maximal performance. The additional prompt-? will further improve the reconstructed annihilation origin while enabling the potential for direct tissue probing thanks to the accurate study of the positronium formation rate and lifetime dependent on the ß+ contact to the tissue structure including the development of metabolic disorders. Thus, our LPET prototype will explore the limits of today’s PET imaging while articulating a unique innermost tissue insight.

The neutrino is one of the most enigmatic ingredient of the standard model of particle physics. Because of its weak interaction with matter and despite enormous experimental progress, its nature and its fundamental properties remain unknown: Dirac / Majorana, CP violation, absolute mass scale, other flavors... Recent results from the t13 experiments Double Chooz, Daya Bay and RENO have uncovered an intriguing excess of events detected in the 4-6 MeV reconstructed energy range with respect to predictions. This spectral distortion may be a suggestion of discrepancies in models of antineutrino production in reactors. Moreover, three independent experimental anomalies (reactor anomaly, Gallium and LSND/ MiniBooNE) support the hypothesis of the existence of a new neutrino family, called sterile because not interacting through weak interaction. In this context, new data from a precise pure U235 Antineutrino spectrum are needed to resolve this open issue and to clarify the reactor anomaly. The SoLid project is an unique opportunity for the community to obtain sufficiently large and accurate data of neutrino flux at very short distance from a nuclear reactor, and then provide a reference measurement of pure 235U, essential for neutrino flux predictions used in current and future neutrino measurements. It proposes to confirm or refute the anomaly reactor and test ultimately the fourth sterile flavor. The strength of the SoLid proposal relies on both the antineutrino source and the technology of detection, which are unique. The experience takes place at BR2 research reactor of SCK-CEN (Mol, Belgium). It allows oscillation measurements at distance varying from 5.5 to 12 m from the core. In addition to this large range, the site is distinguished by its exceptionally low background environment and by having no-access to site constraint. The detector is based on an innovative technology of neutron detector, finely segmented. The use of 6LiF: ZnS layers allows a distinct discrimination of the neutron signal. In addition, the segmentation allows to locate the antineutrinos interactions and then effectively reject significant background sources. Combined with the favorable environment at BR2, our experiment provides an unprecedented sensitivity. Early 2015 a large-scale module 288kg (SM1) has been built and took “reactor ON” data during several days. This systems clearly demonstrates the capabilities of the segmented design of the detector, when combined with sophisticated data analysis techniques, leads to gains of orders of magnitude in background rejection. The physics run, with the full detector, will begin in October 2016 for a duration of two years minimum.This project is led by an international collaboration composed of eleven laboratories involving fifty physicists. Since the beginning, the three partners, Subatech, LAL and LPC have key contributions to the project: mechanical design, BR2 modelization, antineutrino spectra, Geant4/MCNP simulations and data analysis. This strong involvement allowed the coordinator to take responsablity of the SoLid analysis. Our proposal is to build 10 detection planes (320 kg) to increase the fiducial mass and the detector length, allowing us to probe the lower Dm2 phase space region. The French groups foresee to lead several specific studies into the oscillation framework to effectively probe the anomaly reactor, but also, comparing the pure U235 spectrum measured at BR2 with the data coming from the Double Chooz near detector to get an first insight in the “ 5 MeV bump” understanding. This specific contribution will consolidate our leadership in a experiment that promises to settle the question about the existence of sterile neutrino. In the longer term and for the international neutrino community, more precise neutrino flux measurements will allow to push the precision for future experiments.

The TESMARAC joint laboratory focuses on the development of selective supports necessary for the separation and determination of radionuclides at trace level in complex matrices in order to meet demands related to the management of (TE)NORM ("(Technology-Enhanced) Naturally-Occuring Radioactive Materials") and waste from the dismantling of nuclear installations. The associated issues concern (i) the management of radioactive waste, (ii) the recovery of materials and (iii) the assessment of the impact of radioactivity on humans. Innovation is envisaged through the knowledge and know-how from the Subatech laboratory behind the project (expertise in radiochemistry and nuclear metrology) and from TRISKEM (specialized in the manufacture and development of highly selective resins). The innovative approach is reinforced by a partnership with the MoDES team of the CEISAM laboratory through molecular modelling tools that will allow in-silico approaches. The functioning of this joint laboratory is based on the following steps: - Triskem International identifies current and future needs through technical conferences and discussions with its customers at national and international levels and assesses market potential. - Through their R&D teams, the partners identify groups of molecules likely to allow the desired separations. In-silico approaches are used upstream and downstream of experimental measurements. - The development of innovative materials is carried out in collaboration between R&D teams - The “hot” tests (i.e. in the presence of radioactivity) are performed at Subatech. Whenever possible, the experimental results are accompanied by modelling work (based on a mechanistic approach) in order to describe the observations and thus guide (and limit) the experiments. - The production and marketing of the final products will be the responsibility of Triskem International. The expected results for TRISKEM are the launch of new products and/or the extension of the scope of existing products. For the academic partner, the interest is multiple: the valorisation of the results and the use of innovative research approaches that require long-term research, the resulting expertise that can be used within the framework of the IN2P3/CNRS Becquerel network to respond to measurement requests, and the use of certain supports developed within the framework of existing research projects. The roadmap is structured around 3 projects that illustrate how the joint laboratory can lead to innovation with TRL levels expected at the end of the ANR-funded phase ranging from 3 to 9. The purpose of this first phase will be to demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed collaboration in the TESMARAC laboratory. The partners are convinced that this close collaboration will increase the number of innovative products. A medium-term orientation of the labcom's activities towards nuclear medicine is envisaged. In addition to seeking funding for calls for projects, the sustainability of the joint laboratory (after the ANR support phase) will be based on (i) making laboratory equipment, calculation tools and staff on permanent contracts available, (ii) using part of the profits from the marketing of the products developed to help finance the joint laboratory and (iii) starting theses.