MEPhI specialists have developed a new automated and robotic complex for remote measurement of radiation contamination within a radius of up to 100 meters. The complex is a mobile device on a wheeled platform, which is controlled remotely through a radio channel at a distance of up to 25 meters indoors and up to 100 meters in open areas.

For control over longer distances, up to 1 km, a mobile modem can be connected and alternative communication channels or the Internet can be used. The device, equipped with an electric motor, has a load capacity of 20 kg and can carry the gamma spectrometer together with the necessary electronics for data recording, signal transmission and communications. The average speed of the complex is 1 m/s, and the battery provides autonomous operation for two hours.

Alexander Shustov, senior lecturer at the Department of Experimental Nuclear Physics and Cosmophysics at MEPhI, noted that the new xenon detector of the complex has advantages over traditional gamma-ray spectrometers. In particular, it provides better energy resolution than scintillation detectors, and does not require cooling, unlike semiconductor detectors, which reduces the need for additional equipment, reports Gazeta.Ru.

Before that, IAEA experts told about the radiation background in Energodar after the AFU strike. Also in the United States said that the Chinese rocket “Changzheng-6A” destroyed in space.

Author: Наталья Чудесатова

Concern is growing in South America: Andean glaciers are disappearing at a faster rate than predicted, jeopardizing the water supply for nearly a hundred million people. This was reported by researchers from the Universities of Sheffield and Newcastle at a representative conference in London.

The Andes are a long mountain range that runs through countries such as Peru, Chile and Bolivia. Glacial reserves provide water for drinking, agricultural irrigation and electricity generation, but are steadily declining due to climate change.

According to studies, the annual loss of ice thickness reaches 70 centimeters, which is 35% higher than the global average. The main factor is global warming: reduced snowfall, increased frequency and intensity of rains and droughts. If the current trend continues, the region will face a shortage of water needed for life support and agriculture. Low-income rural settlements dependent on mountain streams are particularly vulnerable.

Scientists are pressing for urgent reductions in global carbon dioxide emissions to slow the melting process. Without urgent action, they argue, irreversible consequences will occur in as little as two decades.

Author: Наталья Чудесатова