The 30th meeting of the IAEA International Nuclear Data Committee (INDC) is taking place from 3 to 6 June 2014 at the IAEA headquarters in Vienna. The INDC meeting is a regularly scheduled activity attended by Member State experts, who review and oversee the work done by the IAEA Nuclear Data Section (NDS), as well as offer advice and recommendations on the work planned by NDS.
The biennial INDC meetings bring together 15 committee members with advisors and observers. INDC committee members serve for a four year period in a personal capacity, not as representatives of a government. Since the inception of INDSWG (now known as INDC) in 1963, there have been 86 members, representing 27 countries.
The meeting will cover topics related to activities undertaken by the NDS. These include how the NDS coordinates the international Networks that produce experimental nuclear reaction data (EXFOR) and the nuclear structure data (ENSDF), the data services such as provision of a website and document distribution. The progress of the existing coordinated research projects (CRPs) will be reviewed as well as the range of activities by consultants and staff that contribute to new or revised databases. The plans for new CRPs and areas of work will be presented and considered by the committee members. The range of technical work, training and documentation planned for this biennium as well as for 2016-2017 will ensure that NDS continues to enhance Member States capabilities and expertise in understanding, compilation and retrieving data.
This 30th INDC meeting is preceded by a special event for the NDS 50th anniversary being held on 2 June 2014. There will be an exhibit of photographs and equipment on display as well as presentations made by present and former NDS staff sharing their memories and views from the last 50 years.
Background
In 1963, the IAEA International Nuclear Data Scientific Working Group (INDSWG) was formed as an ad-hoc committee under the Chairmanship of C.H. Westcott with the task to advise the IAEA Director General on the role of the IAEA in nuclear data and the ways in which the IAEA could foster the exchange of scientific data for the peaceful use of atomic energy. Based on the findings of the INDSWG, the IAEA established the Nuclear Data Unit (NDU) in 1964. In 1965, INDSWG became a standing committee to oversee the work of NDU and offer advice and recommendations. The ad-hoc committee has since 1968 been called the INDC.
NDU became the Nuclear Data Section (NDS) in 1970 and is part of the IAEA Division of Physical and Chemical Sciences (NAPC) within the IAEA Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications (NA). NDS's main objectives are to collect, compile, produce and review nuclear data particularly those relevant for energy and non-energy applications such as fission and fusion reactors, medicine and analytical applications. Based on recommendations from INDC, NDS is also tasked with organising international meetings, discussions between nuclear data producers and users in various countries and acts as a Data Centre.
NDS has continued with its mission to provide accurate fundamental data to Member States. The ways of carrying out this mission have evolved and changed over the years becoming richer and more detailed. While there are milestones in the sense of new products, services and technology used by NDS, the main strands of work determined 50 years ago have continued to this day.