CEA News sept. 2007

© P. Stroppa/CEA © Artechnique/CEA 

8 

4 

AROUND 

THE WORLD 

/// Global Nuclear Energy Partnership 

/// ESARDA Conference 

/// President of the Chinese Academy 

of Sciences visits the CEA 

/// Speech on Nuclear Power in 

European Parliament 

/// Start of construction work for JHR 

16 

24 

SCIENTIFIC 

HIGHLIGHTS 

ADVANCED 

PARTITIONING 

SOLUTIONS FOR 

RADIOACTIVE WASTE 

/// Review of 15 years of research 

/// Partitioning 

/// 2006: the new law 

NANOSCIENCES 

UNDERSTANDING THE 

NEW LAWS OF PHYSICS 

/// Nanostructured matter 

/// Quantum effects 

/// How are nano-objects designed? 

/// The toxicity of nano-objects 

/// MINATEC ® 

/// Dynamics of the Earth’s 

magnetic field reproduced 

in laboratory 

/// XEDIX : 100 TB of 

data screened 

© P. Stroppa/CEA © CEA/Lesénechal 

/// Atlas, accelerating 

detection 

/// First complete simulation 

of PET imaging scan 

/// Superdoped silicon: 

an excellent conductor 

CEA News is edited by the French Atomic Energy Commission – Communication 

Division – Headquarters – 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette cedex - France - www.cea.fr 

Publication Director: Xavier Clément 

Contributors to this edition: Claire Abou, Anne-Marie Birac, Patrick Cappe de Baillon, 

Olivier Caron, Xavier Clément, Elisabeth De Lavergne, Thierry Ethvignot, 

Didier Kechemair, Florence Klotz, Lucia Le Clech, Brigitte Raffray 

ceanews.contact@cea.fr 

Graphic design: MAYA press - www.mayapress.net 

Cover photo: Carbon nanotube models in front of a nanotube “mat” viewed 

under the microscope. © CEA 

30 

BOOK REVIEW 

31 EXHIBITIONS 

CEA NEWS 2 September 2007

FOREWORD 

Nuclear Energy’s Responsible, 

Sustainable Future 

© L.Godart/CEA 

Welcome to this second issue of CEA NEWS, the international publication of the French 

Atomic Energy Commission. CEA is committed to providing in-depth but wide ranging 

coverage of its activities ands achievements. We hope that this issue conforms to this goal. 

Since our last issue, momentous events have taken place in our country including the 

election of a new administration and the establishment of a new government. One of the 

new government’s priorities is a determined undertaking to expand the research effort in 

our country and to reform the governance and operations of universities. We at CEA 

welcome this development, which corresponds to our deeply held view that partnership 

with a strong and reactive academic sector can only be of benefit to an institution such as 

ours, that thrives on cross-fertilization with our domestic and international partners in 

both the academic and industrial sectors. We are all the more convinced that our mission 

is to contribute to the building of the knowledge-based, high-valued added economy that 

must rest on a deliberate as well as unrelenting effort in both fundamental and applied 

research. This, one might add, is also a key to nurturing the international partnerships that 

we at CEA value as a core component of our strategy. 

Mr. Olivier Caron 

Director of International Relations 

In the field of energy, which remains at the forefront 

of our priorities, CEA is committed to partaking in 

national and international efforts and undertakings 

that will foster the responsible and sustainable drive 

toward expanded recourse to nuclear energy. If we 

are to offer humanity reliable and cost-effective access 

to this energy source, it is of prime import that new 

nuclear programmes – as well as mature or 

expanding ones – adopt or continue to uphold the 

highest safety and spent fuel management standards. 

It is an economic requirement as well as a civic duty 

and moral responsibility to see to it that nuclear 

expansion does not result in the unwarranted 

accumulation and dissemination of spent fuels. A 

fundamental rethink of security and nonproliferation 

tenets are in order to address this 

challenge successfully. We in France pride ourselves 

on having pioneered an approach to the fuel cycle 

that is precisely geared toward rising up to the 

magnitude of the issue. And we are glad to see that 

our major international partners are now willing to 

reengage on the closed fuel cycle issue. This is a 

heartening testimony to the virtues of patient and 

steadfast policy development, based on confidence in 

science and an acute awareness of the need to engage 

public opinion and policy-makers. On this optimistic 

note, I invite you to enjoy agreeable and thoughtprovoking 

reading while awaiting our next issue. ■ 


AroundTheWorld 

Global Nuclear Energy Partnership – Joint statement 

by France, China, Japan, USA and Russia 

Representatives of five nations (France, China, 

Japan, USA and Russia) and the International 

Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) were invited 

by Samuel Bodman, US Secretary of Energy 

to a Ministerial Conference on the Global 

Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP) in 

Washington on May 21, 2007. The French 

delegation was led by Alain Bugat, Chairman 

of the CEA. A joint statement was issued at 

the end of the conference. 

The GNEP is a US initiative to kick-start nuclear energy once 

again. On a domestic level, it aims to close off the fuel cycle and 

ensure large-scale reprocessing of spent fuel. Its international 

aims are to prevent the spread of technology that has proliferation 

potential, to seek partnerships with 

countries wishing to access nuclear 

energy and to increase its use. The 

goal is to offer spent fuel reprocessing 

and recycling solutions without 

requiring domestic facilities to be 

built. This will complement the 

IAEA's efforts to fine-tune its preproduction 

fuel service supply 

guarantee mechanisms. 

Research and development into advanced cycle technologies 

and fast reactors to burn actinides is also a subject of consultation 

and coordination as part of the Generation IV International 

Forum (GIF), currently chaired by France. 

© A. Gonin/CEA 

SECURITY AND NON-PROFILERATION 

CEA and IRSN at the ESARDA conference 

The CEA and IRSN both took part in the 29 th conference of ESARDA, the European 

Safeguards Research & Development Association from May 22 to 24 in Aix-en-Provence. 

This association was established in 1969 and draws together research laboratories, 

industrial operators, inspection bodies and government ministers from the member 

states of the European Union. ESARDA's goal is to facilitate R&D cooperation between 

the various players involved in nuclear material security controls. 

Around three hundred experts in the field of nuclear security and non-proliferation met 

for three days to review the control of nuclear materials in the European Union and 

around the world. 

Representatives of organizations such as the IAEA 1 , ABACC 2 and INMM 3 are regular 

participants. Olli Heinonen, Deputy Director General of the IAEA, Roland Schenkel, 

Director General of the Joint Research Centre (JCR – European Commission) and 

Dominique Ristori, Deputy Director General of the Directorate-General for Energy 

and Transport (DGTREN – European Commission) all spoke at the conference. 

Olivier Caron, CEA Director of International Relations and France's governor on the 

IAEA board, spoke about French policies in the areas of nuclear security and compliance 

with international treaties. Emmanuel Sartorius, Senior Defence and Security Official 

in charge of domestic control of nuclear materials, spoke about control issues in France. 

Video tracking : A digital camera may be attached to the radiation monitor for video capture and identification. 

1. IAEA: International Atomic Energy Agency, responsible for the NPT inspection provisions. 

2. ABACC: Brazilian- Argentine Agency for Accounting and Control of nuclear materials (regional control agency). 

3. INMM : Institute of Nuclear Materials Management (USA). 

Two types of controls apply to nuclear 

materials in Europe: first, security 

controls as instituted by the Euratom 

Treaty (effective since 1958), and second, 

nuclear weapons non-proliferation 

controls (NPT, effective since 1970). The 

inspection provisions in both treaties 

cover the full range of controls in order 

to ensure that members comply with 

nuclear proliferation restraints. The 

association's work brings the field's 

many experts and practitioners together 

to discuss relevant general topics and 

detailed issues that relate to particular 

types of nuclear facilities. The 

association also promotes discussion 

with nuclear operators and researchers 

to facilitate cooperation in the area of 

international controls, thus ensuring that 

treaties are applied as comprehensively 

as possible and that new control 

technologies continue to be developed. 



A NEW FRANCO-CHINESE PARTICLE 

PHYSICS LABORATORY 

Alain Bugat, Chairman of the CEA, 

Catherine Bréchignac, President of the 

CNRS, Arnold Migus, Director General 

of the CNRS and Lu Yongxiang, 

President of the Chinese Academy 

of Sciences, have inked an agreement 

to set up a Franco-Chinese international 

associate particle physics laboratory, 

the France-China Particle Physics 

Laboratory (FCPPL). This agreement 

formalises a longstanding partnership 

between France and China in this field, 

officially recognising the joint work of 

more than 250 researchers, engineers 

and students from the two countries. 

The France-China Particle Physics 

Laboratory (FCPPL) has been set up 

as part of a key strategy of the CNRS 

IN2P3 organization (French national 

institute for nuclear and particle 

physics), consolidating its links with 

various Asian countries over the last 

two years. The institute works with 

Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, and 

particularly with China's rapidly 

expanding research sector. Several 

dozen scientists in France and China 

are already collaborating to study 

particle physics, astroparticles and 

cosmology. 

This agreement sets up a framework 

for establishing a genuine Franco- 

Chinese scientific community, with joint 

management, a joint steering committee 

and regular conferences. Many Chinese 

researchers have already been hosted 

by French laboratories, and the program 

will also allow French researchers to 

work in Chinese laboratories. 

Bilateral cooperation between CEA and Slovenia: 

Call for projects 

A second call for projects has been issued under the agreement executed on 

March 27, 2006 between the CEA and the Slovenian Minister for Higher Education, 

Science and Technology. The topics selected for 2007 are the following: life sciences, 

new energy technologies (fuel cells, biomass, etc.), new materials (catalytic materials, 

nanomaterials, etc.), nuclear energy (material ageing, etc.) and lasers. 

The goal of these one-year projects is to strengthen relations between the CEA 

and Slovenian laboratories and to establish new joint ventures. This agreement 

provides an official framework for the work already in progress with the Republic 

of Slovenia. It shows the way to new areas for cooperation and strengthens 

current partnerships by contributing to the structures of European bilateral 

nuclear research in the context of the 7 th Framework Programme. 

The projects to receive backing were chosen on July 10, 2007 as part of the 

second Sterling Committee meeting that was held in Marcoule. 

© P. Stroppa/CEA 

P hysics 

New scientific 

interest group – 

“Physics of the 

two infinities” 

Man has always sought to answer fundamental 

questions on the origins and evolution of 

the Universe. What is it made up of? What are 

the basic laws that govern it? What is its future? 

Pushing back the boundaries of knowledge 

and technology in these areas requires deeper 

investigation into phenomena occurring both 

on an infinitely small scale (elementary particles 

and quantum mechanics) and an infinitely 

large scale (cosmology and general relativity). 

These fascinating and closely related physics 

fields are the focus of the scientific interest 

group “Physics of the two infinities” (P2i) which 

was officially launched on 30 March 2007 and 

draws together 19 laboratories at the CNRS 

(National Centre for Scientific Research), CEA 

(Atomic Energy Commission), the Paris 

Observatory and various higher education 

bodies (Pierre and Marie Curie University 

Paris 6), Paris Diderot University (Paris 7), 

Paris-Sud University (Paris 11) and the École 

Polytechnique. 

P2i has set itself the goals of achieving 

international recognition, increasing 

coordination in research and boosting the 

dynamism and resources of teams working in 

subatomic physics and cosmology in the Paris 

region. Particle physicists, nuclear physicists, 

theorists and astrophysicists will pool their 

equipment as part of the consortium. The aim 

is also to promote 

skill-sharing in order 

to tackle the major 

scientific challenges 

laid down by 

nature, such as the 

exploration of dark 

matter and dark 

energy, which are 

poorly understood, 

but together account 

for more than 95% 

of the Universe's 

energy density. 

© CEA/Dapnia 



© D.Marchand/CEA 

Lu Yongxiang, 

President of the Chinese 

Academy of Sciences, 

visits the CEA 

During his trip to France, Lu 

Yongxiang, President of the 

Chinese Academy of Sciences 1 

and Vice-Chairman of the People's 

National Congress visited Saclay 

on April 11, 2007. He was 

received by Yves Caristan, Director 

of Physical Sciences, André Syrota, 

Director of Life Sciences and 

Olivier Caron, Director of 

International Relations, and was 

shown the latest developments 

in the CEA's work, witnessing at 

first hand the dynamic working 

environment at Saclay. Mr. Lu's 

visit included Soleil, the 

third generation synchrotron 

inaugurated last December, and 

NeuroSpin, the new intense-field 

nuclear magnetic resonance 

cerebral imaging (MRI) center. 

He then had a meeting with 

Bernard Bigot, High Commissioner 

for Atomic Energy. 

During the visit, CEA Chairman 

Alain Bugat signed two agreements 

on behalf of the CEA in the 

presence of Zhao Jinjun, Chinese 

Ambassador to France. The first 

was an agreement to set up an 

international associate laboratory 

involving the CEA, CNRS and the 

Chinese Academy of Sciences 

focusing on high-energy physics, 

and the second was an 

amendment to the agreement 

between the CEA and the Chinese 

Academy of Sciences on cosupervision 

of research projects. 

Mr. Lu emphasized the importance 

of the CEA's collaboration to the 

Chinese Academy of Sciences, and 

described it as strategic. He 

suggested instituting a yearly forum 

to promote exchange between 

researchers from the two bodies. 

1. The Chinese Academy of Sciences is 

China's largest national research 

organization, with 58,000 staff. 

Start of 

construction work 

for Jules Horowitz 

research reactor 

Construction work on the Jules Horowitz research reactor 

(JHR) was launched by François Loos, Minster for Industry, 

on March 19, 2007. Other figures who attended the ceremony, 

along with 500 other guests, included CEA Chairman Alain 

Bugat, Philippe Pradel, CEA Director of Nuclear Energy, 

Serge Durand, Director of the Cadarache research site and 

representatives of French industrial partners such as EDF 

and Areva. 

The goal of the Jules Horowitz Reactor is to develop and test 

new fuels and materials to be used in production reactors 

now and in the future, with a particular focus on Generation IV. 

In addition to the applications for power production, JHR 

will supply 25% of Europe's requirements for radioelements 

used in nuclear medicine and could contribute to the 

production of high-performance silicon 

for industrial and electronic 

components. The reactor is due 

for commissioning in 2014. 

©CEA 

S ynergies 

New “Climate-Environment-Society” scientific interest group 

The newly established “Climate-Environment- 

Society” is a joint venture between the CNRS, 

CEA, the École Polytechnique, University 

of Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, 

University Pierre and Marie Curie and 

ADEME 1 . Its goal is to synergize experts’ skill 

sets to study climate change and its 

consequences for society and the environment. 

It will create solid links between researchers in complementary disciplines 

– climatology, ecology, medicine, economics and the social sciences – 

and promote the emergence of a more precise description of the 

interactions between climate change and future societal choices. 

The work will focus on the coordinated 

development of climate models, observation 

systems and tools for effecting change on 

the interfaces between climate and society. 

With the support of the Minister for Higher 

Education and Research and the Minister of 

Ecology and Sustainable Development, the 

research group will enjoy international stature, 

attracting foreign researchers and organizing conferences and 

communication campaigns. 

http://gisclimat.ipsl.jussieu.fr/ 

1. The French Environment and Energy Management Agency 

© P. Bazoge/ CEA 



© DR 

European Parliament: 

Speech by Oliver Caron 

on Nuclear Power 

Olivier Caron, CEA Director of 

International Relations and France's 

governor on the IAEA Board was 

invited to speak the European Energy 

Forum 1 , a discussion group led by 

British MEP Giles Chichester, former 

Chairman of the European Parliament 

ITRE Committee 2 . 

Mr. Caron's speech focused on the 

worldwide renewal of interest in 

nuclear energy. He described the 

world's current energy challenges 

(securing supply, combating climate 

change, remaining competitive) and 

demonstrated the vital place of this 

energy source. He highlighted the 

encouraging fact that discussions are 

underway within European 

institutions to develop a 

comprehensive energy policy across 

the European Union. 

After the speech, a discussion that 

included the fifteen or so MEPs in 

attendance (including representatives 

of the EU’s new member states) 

confirmed Parliament's interest in 

energy issues, including nuclear 

power in particular. There were 

discussions between the Committee 

and various MEPs on the question 

of nuclear safety and the requirement 

laid down during accession 

negotiations that some power stations, 

particularly in Bulgaria, be shut down. 

The issue of waste was brought up 

repeatedly. Mr. Caron took the 

opportunity to explain that technical 

solutions do exist and, referring to 

the French process, showed that waste 

processing is now an issue for political 

decision-making. 

1. More info: 

http://www.europeanenergyforum.eu/ 

2. Industry, Telecoms, Research et Energy. 

FRANCO-JAPANESE DISCUSSIONS ON STORAGE 

The 5 th “information exchange” between EDF, CEA and CRIEPI (Japanese Central 

Research Institute of Electric Power Industry) was held in the Tokyo suburb of Abiko. 

Hervé Lagrave, high-level radwaste storage manager and Guillaume Ranc, expert in 

concrete structures, presented the most recent results from the Department of Fuel 

Cycle Technology on spent fuel storage, chiefly 

focusing on heat and air flows within storage 

facilities, the mechanical behavior of structures at 

temperature and the confinement of containers during 

accidents (earthquake or drop accident). These joint 

ventures should all be validated at the Management 

Committee meeting in September 2007. The trip also 

provided an opportunity to visit the Abiko center’s laboratories, which are working on 

seal testing, dynamic characterization of concrete and chloride source terms; the 

Akagi site, looking at heating within concrete containers, metal container drop 

accidents and the transmission and use of electricity; the JAPC spent fuel dry 

storage facility and the Tokai-Daini Electricity museum. 

© Champion/CEA 

7 th European 

Framework 

Program for 

Research and 

Development 

The 7 th Framework Program was officially launched 

on December 22, 2006 and is the main research 

funding instrument for the period 2007-2013. “Its 

goal is to consolidate the European Research Area,” 

points out Claude Ayache, Director for European 

Affairs (CEA's International Relations Division), 

“and it follows directly in the footsteps of the previous 

framework program. There is a concerted focus on 

a limited number of priorities, with coordination at 

all levels, among researchers, institutions and State 

research policies.The aim is not just to provide funding, 

but to continue to structure research throughout 

Europe research.” Nevertheless, new ambitions 

are set out in the 7 th framework programme for 

research and development, both in financial and 

political terms. The budget is up by a yearly 

average of 60% compared with the 6 th framework 

program, with a total envelope of € 54.5 billion 

over the period 2007-2013. There are new 

challenges on the research side too. “The biggest 

of the challenges,” says Mr. Ayache, “is setting up 

the European Research Council. The aim is to promote 

scientific excellence by funding very high-level research, 

pushing back the boundaries of knowledge. Establishing 

exploratory research as a major factor for future 

competitiveness is a first within the European 

Community. Other new aspects of the 7 th framework 

program include a boost for industrial collaborations, 

with new forms of public-private partnerships, 

European Technology Partnerships and Joint 

Technology Initiatives (JTIs). Finally, there are two 

new research priorities, security and space.” 

TWO NEW CEA COUNSELORS IN EUROPE: 

- Alain Régent in London 

- Claude Sainte-Catherine in Helsinki 

Pierre-Yves Cordier replaces Dominique Ochem 

after his four-year stint, in Tokyo 

Please refer to the back cover for contact information. 


NANOSCIENCES 

UNDERSTANDING 

Stimulated by the 

race towards 

miniaturization in 

the microelectronics 

industry, research 

in Nanosciences is 

conducted at two 

departments within 

the Physical 

Sciences Division: 

the Drecam 1 in 

Saclay and the 

DRFMC 2 in Grenoble. 

This involves 

disciplinary fields at 

the crossroads of 

Chemistry, Physics 

and Biology. 

Activities at Saclay 

in the spotlight. 

© C. Fuseau/CEA 

NEW LAWS 

OF PHYSICS 

Scanning 

Electron 

Microscopy 

(SEM) is 

among the 

tools 

frequently 

used in 

nanoscience. 

Trying to manipulate nano-objects, 

understanding the behavior of finely 

divided matter, exploring quantum 

effects: these are some of the 

challenges facing fundamental 

research in nanosciences. 

At the level of atoms and molecules, 

there is a whole world to explore: 

the nanoworld, christened thus in 

reference to the nanometer, a 

billionth of a meter. Observing 

atoms and molecules individually 

became possible at the start of the 

1980s thanks to two inventions: 

the scanning tunneling microscope 

for materials that conduct electricity 

and its derivative, the atomic force 

microscope for insulating materials. 

These instruments are used both 

to observe surfaces and to 

manipulate atoms or molecules. 

Pooling the talents of chemists, 

physicists and biologists has played 

a decisive role in the creation of 

electronic devices and innovative 

materials. 


© CEA 

TOPICS TO EXPLORE 

/// Nanostructured matter 

/// Quantum effects 

/// How are nano-objects designed? 

/// Toxicity of nano-objects 

/// MINATEC ® 

THE ADVANTAGES OF 

NANOSTRUCTURED MATTER 

How do the properties of particles change when their dimensions 

go from the micrometric to the nanometric scale? 

Pilot 

installation 

of nanopowder 

synthesis 

using the inflow 

pyrolysis 

method. 

Understanding the effect of size on the 

physical or chemical properties of particles 

is essential in nanosciences. The particles 

can be separated out individually in a powder 

state or bonded to solid materials. At the 

frontier between science and technology, 

researchers are shuttling back and forth 

between synthesizing materials, conducting 

experiments and performing numerical 

simulations and interpretations. 

A more radiation-resistant 

ceramic 

A ceramic is a material obtained by heat 

treatment (sintering) from powders generally 

of micrometric size. A team specializing in 

laser pyrolysis has developed an original 

technique for producing chemical composites 

in powders of calibrated sizes. According to 

recent experiments, ceramics made from 

nanometric powders produced in a laboratory 

are more resistant to radiation than traditional 

ceramics. In both cases, it is possible to 

see the grains, separated by grain boundaries, 

at different scales. Under the effect of 

radiation, defects appear in the crystalline 

organization of the grains and tend to merge 

until they hit an obstacle: the boundary. It 

seems that, in nanostructured ceramics, the 

SIZE GUIDE 

0.1 nm atom 

1 nm molecule 

10 nm protein 

100 nm DNA 

appearance of radiation damage is delayed 

because the web of particles is a thousand 

times finer. From the “materials” point of 

view, these ceramic nanopowders could 

be used in the composition of composite 

materials for the nuclear reactors of the future. 

A larger active surface area 

Another example of a divided (or 

nanostructured) material is the platinum in 

fuel cells. The chemical reactions that produce 

the current in the fuel cell are accelerated 

(or catalyzed) by this metal when the reagents 

“meet”, coming into contact with it. The use 

of fine platinum particles makes it possible 

to reduce the quantity of metal required. 

The size of these particles varies from a 

few nanometers to tens of nanometers. 

Researchers are proposing to replace them 

with particles of a perfectly calibrated size. 

A “coating” of organic molecules prevents 

the particles from forming clusters and means 

that the distance between metal cores can 

be finely regulated by the choice of grafted 

molecules. From the perspective of 

application to fuel cells, the electrical 

conductivity of these objects can be optimized 

according to their size. The icing on the cake 

is that combining these particles with carbon 

nanotubes would make the catalysis sites 

more accessible to the reagents and improve 

efficiency even more. 

1. Department of Research on Condensed Matter, Atoms and Molecules 

2. Condensed Matter Fundamental Research Department. 

A choice of colors 

One particular property of semiconductors 

is photoluminescence, which provides a 

spectacular illustration of the size effect. 

When they are lit, these materials give out 

some of the energy they receive by emitting 

light. The color (or energy) of this light is 

determined by the chemical nature and size 

of the semiconductor. If the specimen size 

is reduced to a few nanometers, there is 

constant variation in this color: the energy 

of the emitted light increases as the size of 

the object decreases. The behavior of the 

nanocrystal, also known as a quantum dot, 

seems to gradually approach that of an 

isolated atom. In particular, silicon 

nanocrystals, still produced by laser pyrolysis, 

could act as in vivo tracers for the diagnosis 

and treatment of diseases. 


> PYROLYSIS: chemical decomposition 

through the action of heat alone. 


CEA NEWS 9 September 2007 

© Artechnique/CEA

NANOSCIENCES 

OBSERVING AND USING 

QUANTUM EFFECTS 

On the scale of atoms, electrons and photons, interactions 

between these entities are governed by quantum physics. 

This opens up new perspectives for nano-objects. 

© F. Vigouroux/CEA 


As one of the dimensions of a device 

approaches the size of an atom, the quantum 

effects inherent in microscopic physics appear. 

They are apparent, most notably, through 

discontinuous energy transfers, in “packets” 

known as quanta. These phenomena, invisible 

on a large scale, open up potentially very 

interesting paths for exploration. This is why 

researchers are making an effort to observe 

and use quantum effects in reasonably “large” 

experimental devices. 

WHAT IS 

A QUANTUM STATE? 

Much more than a binary piece of 

information, a “quantum state” is defined 

as a set of several simultaneously possible 

situations, each with a very specific 

probability of occurrence. An experimental 

measurement fixes the quantum state in a 

single one of these situations. To evaluate 

the probability attached to the situation, the 

measurement has to be repeated a very 

large number of times. 

Playing with electron spin 

Giant magnetoresistance (GMR) manifests 

itself as an increase in electricity conduction 

in an electronic device when a magnetic field 

is applied to it. This effect is explained on 

a quantum scale by electron spin, the 

electron's intrinsic rotation. 

The device consists of an assembly of two 

layers of metal with different magnetisms, 

separated by a very thin insulating layer 

(of the order of a nanometer). In one of 

the magnetic layers, the spin of the electrons 

is fixed by the prior state of magnetization 

of the material and in the other, it is subject 

both to the coupling with the first layer and 

to an external magnetic field. The degree 

of resistance to the passage of current, which 

acts as a sensor, depends on the electron spin 

configuration in the layers it is crossing: there 

is less resistance when the magnetizations 

are aligned than when they are opposed. 

GMR can be used to read (and write) 

information in the first magnetic layer or 

to measure a magnetic field. 

Discovered in 1998, GMR is today used 

on an industrial scale in the hard disks of 

our computers. The property is also exploited 

in highly sensitive sensors, one of which 

should be able to detect magnetic fields as 

tiny as those resulting from neuron activity. 

Regulating the electron ballet 

How do you describe the passage of an electric 

current through a metal conductor? Imagine 

a set of relays in which an atom (for instance 

copper) “gives” one of its electrons to a 

neighboring atom and “receives” another in 

>>> 

“ 

Our collaboration 

with companies in 

many sectors, and 

these applications, are 

nurturing the most 

fundamental research 

into magnetism. 

” 

© Artechnique/CEA 

Myriam Pannetier-Lecœur 

Physical Sciences 

Division/Drecam/Saclay 

Measurement 

set devoted to 

studying spinpolarized 

currents in 

magnetic 

nanostructures. 


Fundamental research 

experiment on magnetism 

based on giant 

magnetoresistance 

ELECTRONS 

TO SEE THE NANOWORLD 

MICROSCOPES THAT 

CAN “SEE” ATOMS 

AND MOLECULES 

How do we “see” the atoms and molecules 

in a solid individually? The “eye” of these 

microscopes is a tip that scans the surface 

to be analyzed by gliding over it at a fixed 

height of the order of a few atom 

diameters (a few tenths of a nanometer). 

This distance is adjusted by very shortrange 

interactions between the last atom 

right on the tip and the surface. 

Microscope resolution is limited by the diffraction 

of light crossing the specimen. This becomes 

even more of a problem as the wavelength of the 

light increases. Hence the idea of replacing 

photons with electrons, which have a shorter 

wavelength. In transmission electron microscopy 

(TEM), a flow of electrons is passed through the 

specimen and detected to form the image. 

Resolution can go below a nanometer. 

Meanwhile, the scanning electron microscope 

(SEM) uses secondary electrons emitted by the 

specimen when it is bombarded with electrons, 

on the same side as the source. This time the 

resolution is of the order of a nanometer. 

“ 

With the benefit of experience, 

theoretical formalism has been pushed 

out in favor of intuition and inventiveness. 

© C. Dupont/CEA 

Christian Glattli 

Physical Sciences Division/Drecam/Saclay 

” 

© CEA-LEM 

In the scanning tunneling microscope (STM) 

this interaction, quantum in nature, is 

manifested by a weak electric current that 

flows between the atom on the tip and the 

surface. This current rapidly increases as the 

tip gets closer to the surface. In the atomic 

force microscope (AFM), similar forces to 

those that make atoms bond in a molecule 

are at work between the atom on the tip and 

the atoms on the surface. At even shorter 

distances, forces of repulsion predominate 

between the atomic nuclei. Subject to these 

antagonistic forces, the atom spontaneously 

tries to remain at a fixed distance. 

In both cases, a computer records either 

the current or the force, and keeps the tip 

at a constant distance from the surface. The 

relief “felt” by the tip can be reconstituted 

in this way with resolution of less than a 

nanometer, giving the user an atom-byatom 

picture of the material being studied. 

return. Under normal conditions, electrons 

barely move more than about thirty nanometers 

before experiencing a collision that “erases” 

their quantum effects. To observe the effects, 

it is necessary to reduce the number of 

collisions or to thin out the electron population 

and extend the free trajectory of the electrons. 

This is why some researchers have chosen 

to study the interface between two 

semiconducting layers 1 , working at very low 

temperatures to attenuate the thermal agitation 

of the atoms. The electrons can therefore 

spread out almost freely in a plane, typically 

over about ten thousand nanometers. The 

apparatus also has electrodes that control 

the opening of a passage for the electrons, a 

few hundred nanometers wide. 

What is observed? As the passage opens, the 

conductance of the system, i.e. its ability to 

conduct current, increases in steps! These 

steps correspond to the multiples of a 

fundamental constant known as a conductance 

quantum – another quantum effect! These 

effects can also be seen in metals when two 

electrodes are linked by just one or more 

atoms. What is even more extraordinary is 

that the phenomenon generates almost no 

spurious background noise! These “new” 

laws apply to nanocomponents such as carbon 

nanotubes, which transmit four conductance 

quanta – no more and no less… 

1. Made from gallium arsenide (AsGa) and gallium arsenide 

and aluminum (AsGaAl) respectively. The density of 

moving electrons is governed by the dopant concentration. 


NANOSCIENCES 

HOW ARE NANO-OBJECTS DESIGNED? 

The carbon nanotube, the material most emblematic of the nanosciences, 

is “coated” with molecules to massively increase its powers. 

The discovery of the carbon nanotube in 

1991 opened up a vast field of study in 

nanoelectronics. It is a long cylinder made 

from one or more rolled up sheets of carbon. 

The diameter of a carbon nanotube varies 

from a few nanometers for single-sheet tubes 

to about a hundred nanometers for those 

made from multiple sheets. What are their 

benefits? They are easily mass-produced 

to the point of becoming a commercial 

product. With a particular geometry, they 

can be semiconductors. Being much more 

stable than isolated molecules, they are easy 

to connect to electrodes. In 1998, the first 

transistor made with carbon nanotubes 

appeared. 

We will now look at some of the stages in 

the fabrication of nano-objects from carbon 

nanotubes. 

be highly practical for many types of 

manipulation. First it is necessary to “graft” 

organic molecules onto the nanotube that 

are capable of clinging to the nanotube's 

carbon atoms on the one hand, and giving 

it the required solubility properties on the 

other. One technique is to render soluble 

only the semiconductor nanotubes, so they 

can be sifted out. Once they are in a solution, 

the nanotubes can be diluted to obtain the 

desired rate of deposit on a surface. 

Molecular “coatings”: 

endless creativity 

It is now possible to “coat” the nanotubes, 

which simply means depositing molecules 

on their surface, attaching them solidly to 

the carbon atoms, or even inserting them 

inside the cylinders. 

The “coating” can make it possible for the 

nanotube to attach to a prepared surface, a 

bit like Velcro ® . More generally, combining 

nanotubes with molecules with specific 

electronic and optical properties is at the 

heart of research into molecular electronics. 

Nanotubes and DNA 

Some researchers are working on combining 

nano-objects such as DNA strands with 

carbon nanotubes to make T-shaped 

structures similar to those of a transistor. 

A kind of molecular Scotch ® tape needs to 

be devised to bind the nanotube and DNA 

together using real chemical bonds. In this 

case, nanotubes are being used because of 

their ability to be connected to electrodes. 

DNA could also be used as a “pattern” to 

guide the spontaneous assembly of carbon 

nanotube structures, along the same lines 

as biological processes. 


Self-assembled carbon nanotubes on a surface of 

functionalized silica, connected electronically via gold wires. 

Preparing the bare nanotubes 

The first challenge is sorting the bare 

nanotubes, because they are a mixture of 

metallic objects and semiconductors. The 

second is that nanotubes are not soluble, so 

in their ordinary state they cannot be 

incorporated into a solvent, which would 

© Motorola/CEA 

FROM NANOTUBES 

TO NANORINGS 

It sometimes happens that the 

unexpected texture of the 

chemical “coatings” of nanotubes 

inspires researchers, leading to 

the creation of some surprising 

nano-objects – nanorings, for 

example! Observation of ring 

structures under a transmission 

electron microscope led them to 

include reactive functions in the 

initial coating to stiffen the rings 

and detach them from the nanotube. These nanorings could carry anti-cancer molecules 

to diseased cells. This drug vectorization project is being carried out by a team from 

Divison of Life Sciences in partnership with Laboratoire Servier. Another application, with 

a more fundamental aim, is to use the nanorings as a substitute cell membrane for 

studying proteins in cells. These proteins degrade as soon as they are removed from 

their environment. 



Preparing 

impermeability tests 

for nanoparticles in 

protection equipment 

(masks and gloves), as 

part of the European 

Nanosafe2 project. 

© F. Vigouroux/CEA 

EVALUATING THE TOXICITY 

OF NANO-OBJECTS 

Several CEA laboratories are participating in national and 

European programs to evaluate the risks from nanoparticles. 

How is their impact on health and the environment measured? 


> TRANSISTOR: 

component that 

performs the functions 

of an amplifier, 

modulator or 

interrupter of 

electrical current. 

> DNA: 

deoxyribonucleic acid, 

an essential 

component of 

chromosomes, and the 

physical carrier of 

heredity. 

On a small scale, matter divided into 

nanoparticles has a larger surface area than 

ordinary matter. This could exacerbate its 

toxicity. Furthermore, nanoparticles have a 

natural tendency to form groups of 

micrometric size. Before a toxicological study 

is carried out, it is necessary to know the 

chemical nature of the particles, their structure 

and the physical and chemical state of their 

constituents. Finding out this information 

requires specialist skills and highly specialized 

analysis methods. When it comes to studying 

nanoparticles in suspension in the air, there 

is a particular problem: how can they be 

isolated or distinguished from ordinary 

atmospheric pollution? 

What effect do they have on 

animal cells and bacteria? 

Various teams are trying to assess the toxicity 

of nano-objects for humans using in vitro 

animal cell models. The aim is to study the 

biological effects on the organs they reach 

following inhalation or ingestion (lungs, liver) 

or following their passage through the body's 

natural barriers (kidneys). 

Two effects are being studied: the toxicity for 

the whole cell on the one hand and for the 

genes it contains on the other. Can 

nanoparticles pass through the cell 

membrane? Does the cell remain alive? Is its 

genetic material affected? 

Researchers are also interested in what 

happens in the environment to nanoparticles 

released by the decomposition of consumer 

products which have components containing 

them. The first targets to be looked at are 

bacteria in the ground and water. Are the 

nanoparticles trapped on the surface of the 

bacterium? Do they go inside it? If so, what 

happens to them? Do the bacteria put up 

any resistance? 

Toxicity and exposure 

These toxicological studies do not yet take 

account of the processes of exposure of cells 

in the body, which is a more complex 

environment than in vitro experiments 

provide. Until the results of the full toxicology 

study program are available, those working 

in laboratories are avoiding contact with 

nanoparticles by using containment methods 

(air locks, filters, packaging of powders, etc.). 


NANOSCIENCES 

Jean-Philippe 

Bourgoin 

of the Physical Sciences 

Division, director of 

CEA’s cross-disciplinary 

Nanosciences program 

INTERVIEW 

1. Minatec ® center was inaugurated in 

June 2006 

2. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) 

performed on a nanocharacterisation 

platform 

3. Atomic force microscope used for nano 

and micro component imaging 

4. Automatic parametric tester 

to perform functional characterization on 

microsystems 

1 

5. Holographic and analytical Titan 

Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) 

used to characterize materials 

6. Wafer to wafer assembly and 

lithography cluster 

7. Micro-traction station to study 

microsystems 

8. Programming the Endura 5500C 

machine to apply metal coating 

applications for Microsystems 

9. Lithography area for microsystems 

“ORGANIZING 

WORK AND 

SKILLS” 


Why is such a program necessary? 

It’s a question of making early research in our 

fields – Information's Technologies, Health and 

Energy – more visible. It’s also a question of 

developing our partnerships most notably with 

CNRS and the universities, of strengthening 

the sectors in which we excel at fundamental 

research and of developing their application 

potential. 

What fields are covered? 

In addition to the work already in place on quantum 

electronics, chemistry for nanoelectronics, 

separation chemistry or spin electronics and 

nanomagnetism, new research subjects are 

emerging. We are interested in the behavior of 

fluids in fuel cells and biochips and in thermal 

exchanges in electronic components and 

refrigerant fluids. Simulation of nano-objects, 

materials and electronic 

components is also playing 

“ 

an increasing role, as are 

particular aspects of nanocharacterization. 

Finally, in 

collaboration with crossdisciplinary 

programs on health 

technologies and materials, we 

have grouped and expanded the 

research launched by CEA since 

2001 on the potential risks from 

nanotechnologies. 

Simulation 

of nano-objects 

is also playing 

an increasing 

role in health 

technologies. 

” 

Sophie Astorg – Le journal de Saclay nr 36 – 2007, April 

2 

3 4 


RESEARCH ON MICRO- AND 

NANOTECHNOLOGIES HOLDS 

PROMISE... WITH MINATEC ® 

6 7 

5 

8 

While Nanosciences are studied in both Saclay and Grenoble, 

research into Nanotechnology is mainly conducted at the 

Minatec ® labs in Grenoble. 

Initiated by CEA-LETI 1 and INP 2 

Grenoble, the Minatec ® center was 

inaugurated in early June 2006. It's an 

impressive site with 44,000 m 2 of new 

buildings spread over roughly 20 acres 

of land – becoming a major European 

innovation and consulting center for 

micro- and nanotechnologies demands 

significant investment. “Grenoble's 

nanoscience and nanotechnology center is 

an extension of all the programs recently 

implemented by public authorities for 

research and its application,” declared 

François Goulard, Minister Delegate for 

higher education and research, during 

his visit to the CEA's Grenoble center 

on October 31 st , 2006. 

The Minatec ® concept is unique in both 

France and Europe. Why? Because it 

brings students and teachers as well as 

researchers and people from industry. 

Minatec ® gives them the chance to 

exchange ideas and work together at a 

single location. As a result, “upstream” 

research is undertaken by scientists in 

the Physical Sciences Division, whereas 

“downstream” projects tend to be handled 

by researchers in the Technological 

Research Division. Which is in keeping 

with the race to miniaturize and the era 

of the infinitely tiny, both well underway. 

It is imperative to harness the most 

fundamental properties of matter, push 

back the limits of current technologies, 

and map out new technologies within 

a multidisciplinary framework. Minatec ® 

will focus on major research themes such 

as microelectronics, nanoscience applied 

to biology or new materials, and software. 

No less than 3,500 engineers, researchers, 

and academics will strive to meet this 

objective, using the most advanced 

equipment and technological resources. 

Nanomaterials have inspired high hopes 

and should lead to all sorts of products 

that are both competitive and 

environmentally friendly. Being more 

and more efficient means producing on 

an ever smaller scale, with lower 

costs and higher performance. We 

immediately think of cell phones, 

computers, and so forth, but the realworld 

applications of this research are 

far more numerous: in the automotive 

industry, for healthcare, entertainment, 

safety, etc. 

1. Laboratoire d'électronique et de technologie 

de l'information (electronics and information 

technology laboratory). 

2.Institut National Polytechnique (engineering 

school). 

> For more information: 

http://www.minatec.com/minatec_uk/index.htm 

Photos 1-4 & 6-9: © P. Stroppa/CEA 

Photo 5: © C. Morel/CEA 

9 


WASTE – ADVANCED PARTITIONING 

SOLUTIONS FOR 

RADIOACTIVE WASTE 

How can 

radioactive waste 

be sustainably 

managed? The 

CEA (French 

Atomic Energy 

Commission) has 

been carrying out 

in-depth research 

under an Act dated 

December 30, 

1991 1 . Our report 

focuses on the 

three areas of 

investigation and 

their results. 

1. This act, also referred to as the “Bataille Act”, was transposed into the 

French Environment Code as Article L.542 in September 2000 

Storage hall in the Saclay center. Each of the 

100 shafts is ten meters deep, the highly irradiant 

drums are transferred to the shafts in a shipping 

cask and covered with a concrete plug. 

TOPICS TO EXPLORE 

/// Review of 15 years of research 

/// Partitioning 

/// 2006: the new law 



Separating 

actinides: 

filtering operation 

in a glove box in 

the Atalante 

facility. 

© T. Foulon/CEA 

In June 2005, ANDRA 2 and the 

CEA each submitted a report 

to the Ministry of Research 

reviewing their work on longlived, 

high level radioactive waste 

management, to enable the 

government to propose a bill that 

includes the solutions put 

forward for sustainable waste 

management. Nearly 80% of 

French electricity is currently 

produced by nuclear power 

plants, which ensures energy 

independence, standing France 

in good stead given oil 

price rises and limited fossil 

fuel supplies, and also 

ensures low greenhouse gas 

emissions. When France 

opted for nuclear power in 

the 1970s, it immediately 

started research into waste 

management. The 1991 Act 

gave the research a boost 

and focused on three 

areas: partitioning and 

transmutation, geological 

disposal and conditioning 

& storage. Research 

is still ongoing, but 

a large body of 

results has already 

been produced, showing the way 

to potential solutions. 

Let's take a look at three research 

areas that have focused French 

science on one major issue for 

a number of years: the sustainable 

management of radioactive material. 

2. French National Agency for Radioactive Waste Management. 

3. Spent fuel is processed in Cogema's La Hague plant. 

Research focus 1: 

Scientific demonstration 

of partitioning and 

transmutation (P&T) 

For the last twenty years or so, 

the French nuclear industry has 

been recycling 3 95% of its spent 

nuclear fuel, unburned uranium 

and plutonium, which is used 

for producing a new fuel cycle. 

The remaining 5%, which is 

waste, is immediately vitrified. 

Of this waste, the only items 

covered by the 1991 Act are longlived 

high-level radioactive 

elements (0.4% of the spent fuel). 

Research Focus 1 is looking 

into a way of separating the 

most radioactive elements for 

transmutation. The partitioning 

research undertaken at the Atalante 

facility at the CEA Valrhô center 

(at Marcoule, near Avignon) has 

demonstrated process feasibility 

in the laboratory. A high-yield 

transmutation process, where 

long-lived radioactive elements 

are bombarded with neutrons, 

can be performed in fast breeder 

reactors, as proven by the tests 

run in the CEA's Phénix 

experimental reactor at Marcoule. 

However, partitioning and 

transmutation is not industrially 

feasible before 2040, and will 

only be used for waste produced 

after that time. The CNRS 

(French National Centre for 

>>> 

Research 

reactor Phenix 

is dedicated to 

waste 

transmutation 


150 

The number of extracting molecules tested by 

researchers during studies into minor actinide 

partitioning. 

A TALANTE: 

T HE O NLY F ACILITY O F 

I TS T YPE IN T HE W ORLD 

The Atalante facility at Marcoule hosts highly specialized 

laboratories for work on improving spent fuel 

reprocessing procedures. It has been specially designed 

for studies into the management of long-lived high-level 

waste (HLW): design and testing of extraction molecules 

and studies into advanced partitioning processes, 

design and manufacturing of irradiation targets for 

transmutation and long term behavioral studies into 

waste in storage or repositories. The CEA is also 

developing methods for reprocessing and recycling fuel 

from the fast neutron energy production systems of the 

future. This unique facility is staffed by more than 

200 people. The commissioning of Atalante was 

announced by the ASN College (French Nuclear Safety 

Authority) on June 22, 2007. ASN carried out a safety 

review at the same time. 

Special Issue – Les Défis du CEA – 2005, July 


> TRANSMUTATION: The process of transforming a longlived 

radioactive element into an element with a shorter 

half-life or a stable element. 


© P. Stroppa/CEA


Scientific Research) is working 

on another transmutation method, 

using hybrid nuclear systems. 


Towards reversible deep 

geological disposal 

ANDRA is working on the second 

research focus proposed in the 

1991 Act. It is looking at ultimate 

disposal of radioactive waste in 

deep geological repositories, 

capable of ensuring long-term 

containment several hundred 

meters below the ground. ANDRA 

(French National Agency for 

Radioactive Waste Management) 

is studying three rock types – 

granite, salt and clay. It has set up 

a field laboratory at Bure, in the 

Meuse region, that has been 

operational for several months. If 

the research is successful and 

political leaders make the relevant 

decisions, a geological disposal 

© P. Dumas/CEA 

center should be built between 

2020 and 2025. According to the 

Parliamentary Office for the 

Evaluation of Scientific and 

Technological Choices, this is a 

vital option, but one that must be 

reversible. All nuclear-waste 

producing countries have selected 

this as an option. Likewise, experts 

from the International Atomic 

Energy Agency (IAEA), an UN 

authority recommend deep 

geological disposal, considering 

it the safest current option. 


Increasingly 

high-quality storage 

Long-lived high level radioactive 

waste from spent fuel processing 

is currently vitrified and stored 

pending an ultimate solution, to 

be determined by the 

Government after a parliamentary 

debate. Current storage technologies 

and facilities have been much 

higher-performing over the last 

few years, improved through 

work by the CEA under Research 

Focus 3. New waste conditioning 

matrices developed at the CEA 

Marcoule center have brought 

gains in terms of performance, 

reduced volumes and increaseddurability 

packages. The 

Parliamentary Office has judged 

France's currently operational 

storage facilities, at the Cogema 

plant at La Hague and the CEA 

Cadarache center as highly 

efficient and fit to be safely used 

for another fifty years. The goal 

is to have storage facilities with 

a service life of 100 to 300 years. 

Amélie Kroell - Les Défis du CEA Nr 106 

2005, August 

Evolving Vitrification 

Prototype (AVP) 

1991-2006, 

a review of 15 years 

of research into 

advanced 

partitioning 

Under the “Bataille” Act, one of the 

major focuses in the drive to reduce 

the quantity and danger of long-lived 

high-level nuclear waste is to partition 

some long-lived radionuclides, either to 

transmute them or to carry out specific 

conditioning. After the 15 years of 

research prescribed by lawmakers, 

Christine Rostaing, “Advanced 

Partitioning” Project Manager, reviews 

the progress made in research in this 

field over the period. 


Most of the partitioning studies 

have focused on six radionuclides: 

• the minor actinides 

(americium Am, curium Cm 

and neptunium Np) which, 

after plutonium, are the main 

contributors to the long-term 

radio-toxic inventory of spent 

fuels, 

• three fission products 

(iodine I, cesium Cs and 

technetium Tc) which were 

selected due to their abundance 

in spent fuel, the existence of 

a long-lived isotope and their 

potential long-term mobility 

within a geological repository. 

The procedure used 

In order to perform minor actinide 

partitioning, extraction with a 

solvent was selected as the 

The entire processing and conditioning chain for highlevel 

radioactive waste was tested in Atalante: glove boxes 

comprised of a test loop for liquid-liquid extraction processes, 

a shielded process line on spent fuel and a selection of 

shielded compartments designed to host confinement 

matrices (glass, ceramic) and to study the long-term behavior 

of high-level waste packages; complemented by the shielded 

process line for experimentation, which confirmed the 

technical feasibility of advanced partitioning. 

reference procedure. This is a 

proven technique in the chemical 

industry and there is significant 

data available from operational 

use of the PUREX process at the 

La Hague plant over several 

decades. The strategy therefore 

consisted of: 

• firstly, adapting the PUREX 

process to recover neptunium, 

technetium and iodine. 

• secondly, developing complementary 

solvent-based extraction processes 

(hence the expression “advanced 

partitioning”) to separate out 

americium, curium and cesium 

from the high-level waste 

produced by the PUREX process 

currently vitrified. 

A target date of 2006 was set and 

the research was organized into 

two broad phases, aiming to 

demonstrate the scientific feasibility 


(validating the basic concepts of 

partitioning) by the end of 2001 

and the technical feasibility (trials 

and overall validation of the 

processes) by 2005. 

The initial exploration phase 

was undertaken over a decade, 

involving wide-ranging cooperative 

ventures. It consisted of assessing 

the various extraction systems, 

chiefly targeting the trickiest stage 

– separating the actinides from 

the lanthanides. The second 

demonstration phase, between 

2002 and 2005, focused on the 

processes deemed the most 

promising. 

A three-stage approach 

It is not easy to recover and 

separate the minor actinides 

(americium and curium) within 

>>> 

PARTITIONING 

BY LIQUID- 

LIQUID 

EXTRACTION 

Liquid-liquid extraction 

is a technique that 

uses two immiscible 

liquids, one aqueous 

phase and one organic 

phase. The elements to 

be separated are all 

dissolved in the 

aqueous phase and a 

special molecule, 

referred to as the 

“extracting” molecule, 

is dissolved in the 

organic phase. The role 

of this molecule is to 

capture the elements 

required for separation 

within the aqueous 

phase and to take them 

with it (extract them) 

into the organic phase. 

This molecule needs to 

be both effective 

(having a good affinity 

with the elements to be 

separated) and 

selective (affinity only 

with said elements). 

One of the major 

difficulties in designing 

a liquid-liquid 

extraction process is 

selecting this 

extracting molecule. 

Special Issue 

Les défis du CEA - 2005, July 

> PUREX: 

Purification by 

refining extraction. 

> LANTHANIDES: 

fission products 

from the lanthan 

family, with similar 

chemical properties 

to actinides. 



high-level waste (HLW). A number 

of factors make this a complex 

problem. The very similar chemical 

properties of the actinides (at 

oxidation degree III) and the 

lanthanides (at oxidation 

degree III), mean they are difficult 

to separate; in addition, there is a 

large variety of elements within 

the solution, which is moreover 

highly acidic. A three-stage 

approach is required: 

• Stage 1: the DIAMEX, which 

consists of simultaneously 

extracting the actinides and 

lanthanides using a molecule 

from the malonamide family; 

• Stage 2: the SANEX process, 

separating out the Am+Cm pair 

from the lanthanide group; 

• Stage 3: the Am/Cm partitioning 

process, using diamides. 

Review and outlook 

Since 1991, research into 

advanced partitioning has enabled 

procedures to be developed for 

selectively recovering americium 

and curium from fission product 

solutions derived from the PUREX 

process (99.9% recovery rate, 

which meets the stated goal). The 

selected concepts were validated 

before the end of the first phase 

of research (end of 2001). During 

the second phase (2002-2005), 

the processes were successfully 

tested. Firstly, the solvent 

endurance was tested in the 

irradiation loop. Subsequently 

the demonstration tests were 

successfully performed, in April 

and November 2005 respectively, 

in the Atalante shielded process 

cell, a 1/500 replica of the 

industrial technologies, using 

approximately 15 kg of EDF fuel. 

But over and above the scientific 

results expected within the strict 

framework of the law, it should 

also be emphasized that this 

period was useful for carrying 

out numerous basic studies, for 

instance into the extraction and 

complexation mechanisms of 

various extraction systems. 

Doctoral and Post-Doc research 

contributed greatly, along 

with national (GdR PRACTIS and 

PARIS), European (NEWPART, 

PARTNEW, CALIXPART, 

EUROPART, etc.) and 

international collaborations 

(Japan, Russia, USA, etc.). The 

CEA and the Valrho center have 

thus acquired new skills (e.g. 

molecular modeling) and new 

tools (see insert Future 

challenges). 

The program also provided an 

opportunity to run a project from 

start to finish, from designing the 

extraction molecules to testing a 

process on several kilograms of 

spent fuel. The work has boosted 

partitioning chemistry and 

actinide chemistry enhancing 

excellence within our teams ready 

to meet future challenges. 

Christine Rostaing, 

“Advanced Partitioning” Project Manager 

Rive droite Rive Gauche - 2006, May 


FUTURE CHALLENGES 

Given the decisions needed in 2006, our significant results opened up a range of possibilities 

for processing spent fuel in Generation IV reactor-fuel cycle systems that recycle their own 

waste. The choice was made to transmute actinides in FBRs 1 , these studies will need to be 

continued and adapted, depending on the nature of the actinide compounds selected for 

recycling. In Atalante, work is already under way in this area, with 

the parallel development of partitioning and multiple actinide 

conversion (integrated processing and re-manufacturing concept). 

The preparation for the demonstration experiment on key processes 


for this concept (access to the fissile compound; multiple actinide 

dissolving, extraction and conversion process; forming the fissile 

compound and re-manufacturing the fuel element), will use a fuel representative of a GFR 2 . 

The research teams will gradually focus their efforts on these new goals, which will also 

require developments in the Atalante facility. 

Christine Rostaing, “Advanced Partitioning” Project Manager 

1. FBR: Fast Breeder Reactor - 2. GFR: Gas-cooled Fast Reactor 


© P. Stroppa/CEA

© P. Dumas/CEA 

Top: Managing waste drums during 

dismantling operations in the UP1 plant 

in Marcoule. 

Middle: Shielded compartments for 

dry processes used to manufacture 

(crushing, pressing, sintering and 

cladding) fuels for studies, transmutation 

targets and confinement matrices. 

Bottom: Mock-up for long-term 

storage in the ground below the CECER 

(Centre of expertise in conditioning and 

storage of radioactive material). 

99% 

This is the proportion of americium and curium 

that the selected molecules and the process 

developed in ATALANTE can partition out of the 

solution sourced from reprocessed spent fuel. 

NEW TEAMS FOR ICSM 

The Marcoule Institute of Separative 

Chemisty (ICSM), a mixed research unit 

jointly run by the CNRS (40%), University 

of Montpellier 2 (20%) and the CEA 

(40%), is planning on an influx of around 

a hundred researchers in 2010. In the 

short term however, the first of these 

newcomers need to be identified – these 

will be the first teams to get into the 

Institute’s new premises at the entrance 

to the Marcoule site. 

Non-permanent staff Given staff 

turnover, 15 new researchers will be 

selected every year. Three tender 

processes were run, in September 2004, 

June and September 2005. In each 

tender, an innovative and realistic 

scientific collaboration was proposed, 

supervised either by the Montpellier 

Chemistry cluster – the Universities of 

Montpellier, the Montpellier-based 

Grande Ecole ENSCM and CEA-ICSM – or 

by another French university or CNRSrun 

laboratory. 

Permanent staff 50 applications were 

received by the close of the 2006 

recruitment campaign. 16 candidates 

have been interviewed by the 

Shortlisting Committee and 12 have been 

selected: 3 from the University of 

Montpellier 2, 3 from the CNRS and 6 

from the CEA (including 3 external 

recruits). After 4 campaigns, the staff 

team should be complete. 

In addition, European collaborations in 

the Physical Chemistry of Actinides (with 

the Institute for Transuranic Elements, 

Karlsruhe) and Sonochemistry (with 

Max Planck Institute) are being set up to 

enable researchers to work in mixed 

ICSM units hosted by foreign 

laboratories, from Spring 2007. 

These initiatives should all help bring 

together the teams and enable them to 

be immediately operational when the 

ICSM laboratories open in March 2008. 

Gilles Richard - Rive droite Rive gauche – 2006, November 

The new 

law is here 

The final text 1 of the bill to succeed the “Bataille 

Act” (dating from December 30, 1991) was 

approved by the National Assembly on June 15, 

2006, following its examination by the Senate. 

This report focuses on “Program Law” 

no. 2006-739 dated June 28, which is much 

larger in scope than its predecessor, since it 

pertains “to the sustainable management of 

radioactive materials and waste.” In other words 

it covers all the CEA’s waste-related activities - 

research, management, decommissioning, 

facility operation and communication. 

The new law lays down the 

principle that “sustainable 

management of radioactive 

materials and waste of any 

description (…) is undertaken in 

compliance with the protection 

of human health, safety and the 

environment”, and in Article 3, 

stipulates that research and study 

related to long-lived high or 

intermediate level radioactive 

waste is to be performed “in three 

complementary areas”, resulting 

for the most part from work carried 

out at Marcoule over the last fifteen 

years or more. 

1. Research and study focusing on 

partitioning and transmutation 

of long-lived radioactive elements 

“are to be undertaken in relation 

to research carried out into new 

generations of nuclear reactors 

(…) and accelerator-driven 

systems dedicated to waste 

transmutation”. The stated goal 

is to be have an appraisal of the 

“industrial potential of these 

processes” by 2012 and to “put a 

prototype facility into operation 

by December 31, 2020”. 

2. With respect to deep geological 

disposal, a goal has been set for 

researchers and engineers, to 

design a reversible repository 

>>> 

1. The Act was signed by the President of the Republic and 8 Government ministers: the Prime 

Ministers and Ministers of the Interior, Defense, Foreign Affairs, Health, Economy, Finance & 

Industry, Education & Research and Ecology. 



300years 

After this period, 90% of radioactive waste returns to a level of radioactivity 

comparable with background radiation. This waste is disposed of in existing final 

repositories managed by ANDRA. 

Studying the 

diffusion of 

hydrogen 

through concrete 

in the top of shell 

used for the 

storage/disposal 

of intermediatelevel, 

long-lived 

waste. 

Laser-welding glove-box for 

cladding containing pellets of study 

fuel, transmutation targets and 

confinement matrices. 

and to focus on selecting a site. 

The operating start date has 

been set for 2025, ten years after 

filing the permission application, 

which will be investigated and 

debated in depth. 

3. The same date of 2015 (at the 

latest) has been set for creating 

new storage facilities or adapting 

existing facilities, on the basis 

of research and study into the 


issues, in order to “meet the 

needs, particularly in terms 

of capacity and duration.” 

These three research focuses were 

already known, but a calendar has 

now been set, and additional 

details and provisions laid down: 

• the partitioning and transmutation 

process is clearly linked to 

Generation IV systems, 

• deep geological disposal must 

be reversible for a duration of 

“no less than one hundred years”, 

• the role of ANDRA is broadening, 

to include, for instance, cleaning 

up of radioactive contamination 

sites or coordinating research 

and study to be carried out (or 

commissioned) with respect to 

deep geological disposal and 

as well as storage, 

• three new taxes have been 

created, in addition to the 

existing tax on Basic Nuclear 

Installations: they will be used 

to fund economic development 

and the roll-out of technology 

in the areas surrounding the 

selected disposal site, and 

research and study into storage 

and deep geological disposal. 

The sums allocated to this research 

and the construction and operation 

of the corresponding facilities will 

be paid into funds accounted for 

separately within ANDRA. 

A broader scope 

The new law is much broader 

in scope than the previous Bataille 

Act. In particular, it sets in place 

a research and study program, 

aimed at commissioning a graphite 

and radium-bearing waste disposal 

center by 2013, and provide three 

“deliverables” by 2008: storage 

solutions for tritiated waste (until 

the radioactivity has decayed 

enough to allow for ground-level 

or shallow disposal), finalization 

of disposal solutions for used 

sealed sources (in existing or new 

centers) and a long-term impact 

assessment on uranium mine 

tailing disposal sites (with a 

reinforced radiological monitoring 

plan for these sites). 

Under the new law, the first ever 

national radioactive materials and 

waste management plan is to be 

put in place by December 31, 

2006. This type of plan is to be 

drawn up every three years by the 

Government, and assessed by the 

Parliamentary Office for the 

Evaluation of Scientific and 

Technological Choices. It will 

review the existing management 

methods for radioactive materials 

and waste, survey the foreseeable 

requirements for storage or 

disposal facilities, specify their 

capacity and duration (in the case 

of storage) and establish targets 

to be met (with a calendar), for 

radioactive waste items that 

still have no final management 

method. This plan must comply 

with three major objectives: 

1. reducing the quantity and 

danger of the radioactive waste, 

in particular by reprocessing 

spent fuel and processing and 

conditioning radioactive waste; 

in this respect, owners of long- 

>>> 


Interview 

PHILIPPE PRADEL 

CEA Director of Nuclear Energy 

“ 

Major breakthroughs have 

been achieved in nuclear 

waste management. 

lived Intermediate Level Waste 

(ILW) produced before 2015 

must have it conditioned by 

2030 at the latest, 

2. use specially designed facilities 

to store radioactive material 

awaiting reprocessing and 

ultimate radioactive waste 

awaiting disposal, 

3. use deep geological repositories 

to dispose of ultimate radioactive 

waste that cannot be disposed 

of in ground or shallow 

repositories, for nuclear safety 

or radiological protection 

reasons. 

Information, 

assessment and 

international cooperation 

Like the preceding law, the new 

one outlaws the disposal of 

foreign radioactive waste in 

France, but specifies the reason 

for this ban. The law provides for 

intergovernmental agreements to 

be published in the Journal Officiel 

(official gazette), specifying a 

framework under which foreign 

fuels may be reprocessed in 

France, and how long the related 

waste will remain stored on French 

soil. Operators running research 

and reprocessing operations 

involving foreign radioactive 

” 

substances will have to draw up 

an annual inventory on this issue, 

which will be made public, along 

with the annual report form the 

National Board for Research 

Assessment. The board must 

include “at least one international 

expert” and its report must “review 

research carried out abroad”. The 

same requirements apply to the 

national radioactive materials and 

waste management plan. It will 

have to summarize research and 

projects carried out outside France. 

The new law requires wider 

communication to the general 

public. One body that could be 

involved in communication 

is the High Commission for 

Transparency and Information on 

Nuclear Safety, established under 

a different law dated June 13, 

2006. This new body could 

organize “periodical consultations 

and debates on the sustainable 

management of radioactive 

materials and waste.” Likewise, a 

National Board, distinct from the 

aforementioned research board, 

will assess operators' funding of 

decommissioning and radioactive 

material management expenses. 

It will also issue a tri-annual report 

to the general public. 

Gilles Richard - Rive droite Rive gauche 

2006, September 



What is your appraisal of 

CEA research over these 

last fifteen years? 

The 1991 law brought 

research projects into the 

spotlight, some of which 

were already underway, and 

encouraged domestic and 

international cooperation. 

I would like to emphasize 

the lively exchanges 

stemming from the 

confrontation of scientific 

ideas among various players 

in research, industry and 

operations. The full range of 

possibilities has been 

explored with our partners 

[ed: in France, chiefly ANDRA 

and the CNRS] and major 

breakthroughs have been 

achieved. We now have a 

panel of solutions, which are 

actually complementary, and 

will feed a calm and 

informed public debate. To 

give you an example, we 

have reduced the volume of 

intermediate level 

radioactive waste by a factor 

of 10. Likewise, having 

demonstrated the scientific 

feasibility of actinide 

partitioning [ed: some of the 

most radioactive elements] 

and the existing methods for 

transmuting them in fast 

reactors, there is potential 

for further reductions in final 

waste in the future. 

What might be the 

international knock-on 

effect of the these 

results? 

There is now a massive 

renewal of interest in 

nuclear power, throughout 

the world, particularly in Asia 

[ed: China and India], linked 

to growing energy needs 

and the requirement of 

limiting CO2 emissions. 

France is one of the 

technological leaders with its 

spent fuel reprocessing & 

recycling processes, but also 

a leader in institutional 

terms, with a coherent 

system and multiple, 

rigorous, independent 

control mechanisms. We are 

being watched by the rest of 

the world and need to show 

that reasonable, sustainable 

solutions for nuclear waste 

management exist. Japan is 

building a plant similar to 

Cogema’s La Hague facility 

at Rokkasho Mura. The USA 

and China are now looking 

at our technological options 

with interest. 

Is there a synergy 

between research into 

waste management and 

research into future 

systems? 

Yes there is, because 

research into the nuclear 

systems of the future 

involves a goal of 

sustainable development, 

which implies reducing 

releases and waste as much 

as possible, and recycling to 

maximize resources. That is 

why people talk about 

“systems” these days, a 

term referring both to 

reactors and the associated 

fuel cycle. Within the 

framework of the 

Generation IV initiative, 

drawing together Euratom 

and 10 other countries, four 

of the six technological 

options selected for the 

nuclear systems to be 

deployed by 2030 are fast 

breeder reactors, which will 

enable these sustainable 

development goals to be 

met. France is heavily 

involved in research on this 

type of reactor, and 

already has wideranging 

expertise. ■ 

Interview with Claire Abou 

Les défis du CEA – No. 106 

© L. Godart/CEA

SCIENTIFIC HIGHLIGHTS 

The dynamics of 

THE EARTH’S MAGNETIC FIELD 

reproduced in the laboratory 

© Collaboration VKS/CEA 

Over the geological ages, the Earth has 

undergone several erratic reversals of its 

magnetic field. The sun’s magnetic field is 

reversed regularly every 22 years according to 

its cycle. These magnetic dynamics, which are 

still shrouded in mystery, play a role in our 

planet’s exposure to cosmic rays. 

The joint VKS experiment 1 (CEA 2 , CNRS, the Ecole 

Normale Supérieure in Lyon 3 and the Ecole Normale 

Supérieure in Paris 4 ) has, for the very first time, 

observed magnetic field reversals in laboratory 

conditions thanks to a highly turbulent flow of 

liquid sodium. The experiments should help scientists 

to understand more about cosmic magnetic field 

reversals. The results are published in Europhysics 

Letters, Volume 77, March 2007. 

The Earth’s magnetic field is created by highly 

disordered movements that churn up the liquid 

iron core at the center of the Earth. This is known 

as the “dynamo” effect. One of its most astonishing 

characteristics, revealed by paleomagnetic research, 

is that reversal of the magnetic poles is totally random. 

They remain close to the Earth’s geographic poles 

and flip between north and south about once every 

100,000 years or so, although longer periods have 

been found between reversals. On average, these 

reversals last a few thousand years. 

The cause and timescale of such reversals, together 

with the geometry of the magnetic field during a 

reversal, remain the subject of much debate. 

The consequences may be considerable: during a 

reversal, the magnetosphere that protects the Earth 

from solar and cosmic radiation is significantly 

weakened. Life on Earth, and human life in 

particular, has survived this kind of situation in 

the past (the last reversal occurred 700,000 years 

ago), but a repeat would severely interfere with 

our modern communications systems (satellites 

and networks, etc.). 

The researchers involved in the VKS experiment 

have shown that the dynamo effect could be 

reproduced in a laboratory experiment, using a 

turbulent flow of liquid sodium produced by the 

counter-rotation of two impellers inside a cylinder 5 : 

with the two impellers rotating at the same speed, 

a stationary magnetic field is spontaneously generated 

once a certain threshold is exceeded. They have 

now observed that when the impellers rotate at 

different speeds, thus adding global rotation similar 

to that of the planets and stars, the dynamo field 

may vary over the course of time. Certain regimes 

have uncannily similar characteristics to the behavior 

of the Earth’s magnetic field. 

The field flips from one state of polarity to its opposite 

for irregular time periods, with the transition from 

one polarity to the other lasting a very short duration. 

- The periods during which the field is stable vary 

in length, but always last longer than reversal time. 

- Field excursions, periods during which the field 

decays and then grows again with no polarity 

change, can also be observed. 

At other rotation speeds, the magnetic field may 

periodically be reversed, rotating in space without 

polarities canceling each other out, as is observed 

in the case of the sun. 

These experiments imply that it will now be possible 

to conduct laboratory studies of phenomena that 

have intrigued geophysicists and astrophysicists for 

centuries. 

Magnetic field (in gauss) measured in the experiment 

in relation to time (in seconds). The sodium flow 

is driven by two turbines with counter-rotating 

impellers rotating at different speeds. 

Delphine Kaczmarek – 2007, April 

1. Von Karman (the physicist after whom the flow was 

named). Sodium (the fluid used in these experiments). 

2. CEA’s Condensed State Physics Department, Physical 

Sciences Division, team headed by François Daviaud. 

3. Physics Laboratory at the Ecole Normale Supérieure de 

Lyon, (CNRS, ENS Lyon), team headed by Jean- 

François Pinton. 

4. Statistical Physics Laboratory (ENS Paris, CNRS, 

University of Paris VI and Paris VII), team headed by 

Stephan Fauve. 

5. The VKS experiment took place at CEA/Cadarache, at 

the Department of Nuclear Technology in the Nuclear 

Energy Division. The results are presented in an article in 

Physical Review Letter 98, 044502 (2007). 

SOITEC-LETI COMPETENCY CENTER 


Soitec, the world leader in silicon-on-insulator technology, is pooling its skills with 

those of CEA/LETI* to set up the Nanosmart Center, a world-class center of excellence 

in advanced materials for the microelectronics industry. Funded by A21, the French 

agency for industrial innovation, the Nanosmart Center will develop new generations 

of semiconductor materials for innovative applications, such as high-frequency telecom 

components and power components for the automotive and audiovisual industries. 

* LETI: Electronics and Information Technology Laboratory. 

CEA Technologies No. 83 – November-December 2006 


XEDIX: 100 TB OF DATA SCREENED 

IN JUST A FEW SECONDS 

Using Xedix, the native XML database developed by the CEA, it takes less than 

a second to find a document in a 100 Tbyte base. A start-up called Xedix Tera 

Solutions is being set up to market this unique product that has potential 

applications in a wide range of areas, including multimedia, research, 

telecommunications and avionics. 

The CEA is producing for its own 

requirements an ultra high-performance 

information management system called 

Xedix, which it is currently testing on a 

100 TB database. 

A world first. “The archives of the Institut 

National de l'Audiovisuel (French National 

Audiovisual Institute) only represent 85 to 

90 TB of data,” comments Didier Courtaud. 

“If we were to store all the events of a person's 

life on a single electronic storage medium, 

it would take up about 100 GB, in other words, 

a thousand times less than the total storage 

capacity of Xedix.” The tests are performed 

using standard test cases made up of several 

types of realistic data. They are expected 

to confirm the good results from earlier 

tests carried out in 2003 on one TB and 

in 2005 on ten TB. “We think we'll be able 

to obtain response times of less than a second 

for most queries.” 

An outstanding information storage and 

indexing system is the key to this 

performance. The system stores and 

indexes all data in XML (Extended Markup 

Language), a descriptive language that 

is totally independent of desktop software 

programs and their constant stream of 

upgrades. Image or video files are stored 

in the base and listed in XML as metadata 

describing the subject, shooting date, 

characters or any other information selected 

by the database administrator. 

What's more, the data indexing system is 

smart. “Unlike conventional search engines, 

Xedix identifies the tag in which the required 

character string(s) is(are) located. This means 

that the query can be made clearer by adding 

as many criteria as necessary.” Queries can 

be carried out using a conventional browser 

or a customized interface developed in 

the language of the user's choice (Java, 

PHP, etc.). The tool has already been 

validated on other applications during 

collaborative work carried out in the 

System@tic competitiveness cluster. A 

start-up called Xedix Tera Solutions is 

being set up to market it. 

With a product like this, the future looks 

bright for the budding firm. There are 

clear signs of interest from many 

sectors including archiving services and 

multimedia libraries, the research 

community (European projects, joint 

research-industry projects) and the world 

of scientific and technical information. 

Xedix Tera Solutions also hopes to arouse 

the interest of other sectors such as largescale 

scientific instrument companies (that 

generate vast amounts of data), 

telecommunications, and industries that 

produce great quantities of documentation, 

like the automotive and pharmaceutical 

industries. 

CEA Technologies No. 85 – April 2007 

© F. Rhodes/CEA 

© Artechnique/CEA 

REMOTE 

RECHARGE 

FOR YOUR 

BATTERIES 

The mini-battery developed by CEA-LITEN 1 

research teams could make a great difference 

in the lives of people with certain disabilities. 

The remotely rechargeable battery, which 

can be fitted inside the human body with 

a number of other stand-alone devices, opens 

the door to a new generation of medical 

appliances, including muscle stimulators 

for paralyzed hands or for hearing implants. 

The long-familiar lithium battery used in 

pacemakers is capable of supplying electrical 

power over a period of many years. 

However, as it cannot be recharged and its 

lifetime is limited by its size, it can only be 

used to power devices with very low energy 

consumption. “Which brings us to the 

rechargeable, lithium-ion mini-battery we have 

developed as part of the European Healthy Aims 

project, in association with our industrial partner, 

Saft. The battery meets the specifications of 

implant manufacturers like Cochlear Ltd. and 

Finetech Medical,” explains Séverine 

Jouanneau, a researcher at CEA-LITEN. 

“Lightweight (2 g) and compact (1 cm 3 ), the 

battery is only 5 mm thick, yet provides 

maximum energy (50 mAh) and can be 

recharged daily.” Recharging can be carried 

out by induction through the skin during 

the night using a device placed at the patient's 

bedside. Another advantage is service life – 

the battery can work for more than ten years 

at a temperature of 37°C. 

Vahé Ter Minassian - Les Défis du CEA No. 122 – March 2007 

1. LITEN: Laboratory for Innovation in New Energy 

Technologies and Nanomaterials 



The HESS observatory team awarded the European 

Descartes prize for its progress in 

VERY HIGH-ENERGY GAMMA ASTRONOMY 

© ESO/ANTO/UT1 

On March 7, 2007, the French-German very 

high-energy gamma ray observatory received 

the 2006 Descartes prize. Since the year 2000, 

this prize has been awarded annually to scientific 

teams for their transnational research results. 

It was awarded to the HESS team in recognition 

of the quality of results concerning the “nonthermal 

universe” or “violent universe” that 

opened up a new field of astronomy. The HESS 

observatory's results have been hailed as a world 

first in gamma astronomy. 

The observatory was mainly built by French 

and German laboratories, later joined by teams 

from other European and southern African 

countries. In France, it brings together CNRS 

(IN2P3 and INSU) 1 and CEA (DAPNIA 2 ) 

laboratories. 

HESS (High Energy Stereoscopic System) is 

the name given to four telescopes installed 

on the Gamsberg plateau in Namibia. HESS is 

primarily dedicated to observing the southern 

skies that give access to most of the Milky Way. 

HESS provides precious information about 

some of the Universe’s most violent phenomena 

by detecting very high-energy gamma rays, 

using the light flashes they produce as they 

interact with the Earth's 

atmosphere (“Cherenkov 

effect”). The HESS 

experiment will soon be 

enhanced by the installation 

of a very large telescope - 28 

meters in diameter - at the 

center of the existing array 

of four instruments. This new 

phase of the experiment will 

not only enhance sensitivity 

but also overlap with the 

energy range covered by 

NASA's gamma astronomy 

satellite, GLAST, which should 

be launched in 2007. The 

project, called Cherenkov 

> GAMMA RAYS: Like visible light 

or X-rays, gamma radiation is 

made up of photons, but at much 

higher energy levels. Visible light 

has an energy of around one 

electron volt (1 eV). X-rays are in 

the range of one thousand to one 

million eV. HESS detects very 

high-energy gamma rays that can 

reach a million million eV (or 

1 tera-electron volt (1 TeV)). 

There are few of these very highenergy 

gamma rays. Even for a 

relatively intense astrophysics 

source, the flow of gamma 

photons entering the atmosphere 

is around one per month per 

square meter. 

Telescope Array or CTA, will increase sensitivity 

tenfold and considerably add to available 

information sources. 

Delphine Kaczmarek – 2007, March 

1. LLR École polytechnique (IN2P3/CNRS), LPNHE of the 

Universités Paris VI and VII (IN2P3/CNRS), APC 

(IN2P3/CNRS/Université Paris 7/CEA), LPTA Université 

de Montpellier 2 (IN2P3/CNRS), LAPP Annecy le Vieux 

(IN2P3/CNRS), CESR Toulouse (INSU/CNRS), LAOG 

Grenoble (INSU/CNRS), LUTH Observatoire de Paris- 

Meudon (INSU/CNRS). 

2. DAPNIA, Research laboratory dedicated to the 

fundamental laws of the Universe in the Physical Sciences 

Division. 

ATLAS, ACCELERATING DETECTION 

The superconducting toroidal magnet of the Atlas experiment 

has just been started up at the LHC facility 1 . 

A 21,000 A current was injected into the eight coils of the 

magnet to produce its magnetic field 2 . CEA-DAPNIA scientists, 

who have been closely involved in the design and construction 

of Atlas, took this opportunity to check all the magnet operating 

parameters and performed a successful test on its muon 

spectrometer. This instrument has already detected cosmic 

muon tracks bent under the influence of the magnetic field. 

These results are very encouraging for the research teams, who 

are now waiting for the LHC – the world's largest proton collider 

– to be commissioned at the end of the year, when they will 

be able to record and analyze the first collision data, and answer 

a number of basic questions in particle physics – such as “does 

the Higgs boson exist?”. 

1. Large Hadron Collider, 

installed in a tunnel with a 

circumference of 27 km, 

built 100 m below the 

ground at the CERN in 

Geneva. 

2. The Atlas magnet stores 

1.1 GJ of magnetic energy, 

enough to lift the Eiffel 

Tower about ten meters off 

the ground. 

Aude Ganier – Les Défis du CEA n° 121 – February 2007 

© Cern 


FIRST COMPLETE SIMULATION OF 

PET IMAGING SCAN 

OF THE WHOLE HUMAN BODY 

Interpreting data from positron emission tomography (PET) - medical 

imaging scanning increasingly used in hospitals - is still a complex 

task. With a view to optimizing its analysis and extracting the most 

relevant physiological information, researchers are working on computer 

simulation programs to enhance PET techniques. The programs are 

currently held back by computing time limitations. 

This problem spurred CEA-SHFJ 1 (Service 

hospitalier Frédéric Joliot in Orsay near Paris) to 

set up the GATE 2 simulation platform, which 

models PET scans using the Tera 10 supercomputer 

located at the CEA's DAM-Ile-de-France 3 centre 

in Bruyères-le-Châtel near Paris. The ensuing 

simulation made it possible to reproduce - in an 

entirely realistic manner and in a very short time 

- the distribution of a tracer used in PET for 

diagnosing cancer. This first simulation result 

means that, in the medium term, a more precise 

use of data provided by the images can be envisaged 

as well as personalized scans for patients. 

These simulations are carried out using the 

Monte-Carlo method, based on probability 

theories. The analysis is hindered, however, by 

the limitations of digital processing: for a standard 

PET scan of the whole human body, a Monte- 

Carlo simulation must process the emission of 

several billion positrons and gamma photons, 

which is the equivalent of 10,000 computing 

hours, or 400 days of analysis on a standard PC. 

To reduce this computing time, researchers 

conducted a simulation on 

the Tera 10 supercomputer. 

After modeling the 

patient's body, using data 

from an actual scan, 

researchers simulated the 

injection of a tracer by 

selecting a realistic activity of 264 megabecquerels 

(MBq) and an acquisition time similar to that 

required for a standard PET scan. This initial 

simulation required less than three hours' 

computing time using 7,000 processors. The 

subsequent comparison of the actual scan and 

its simulation showed almost identical tracer 

distribution. From a quantitative point of view, 

comparisons of the volume of a tumor located 

under the patient’s left axilla indicated a difference 

of 6%, which is considered very low for an initial 

simulation. This result represents a first decisive 

step towards the development of methods that 

could be used to correct actual data from PET 

scans and, in the long term, target the creation 

of a patient specification for PET acquisition 


See the comparison of images 

obtained below: 

• Left: PET image of an actual 

‘whole body’ scan 

• Right: the result obtained through 

simulation on Tera 10 

protocols and analysis. It also shows the benefits 

of intensive computing in the life science field. 

Stéphane Laveissière – 2007, April 

1. The SHFJ is one of the 4 research platforms of the 

French Institute for BioMedical Imaging (CEA-I 2 BM). 

The others are NeuroSpin (Saclay), MIRCen 

(Fontenay-aux-Roses) and C-INAPS (Caen). 

2. GATE: Geant4 Application for Tomographic Emission 

– Geant4 is an international simulation program 

developed at CERN (Switzerland). 

3. DAM: Military Applications Division. 


THE PIANIST'S FLOWING TOUCH 

Music lovers everywhere expect a digital piano to 

provide a perfect reproduction of the touch offered 

by a grand piano. But high-fidelity reproduction calls 

for perfect control of parameters such as the mechanism's 

resolution and bandwidth. CEA/LIST* took up this 

challenge by joining forces with the Ecole Polytechnique's 

Solid Mechanics Laboratory to develop a new sensory 

interface technology based on the use of magnetorheological 

or MR fluids. These fluids, made up of 

microscopic metal particles suspended in a liquid 

solvent, change viscosity under the influence of a 

magnetic field. 

The degree of change is proportional to the intensity 

of the applied field, making it possible to simulate 

the “perfect” touch, using a real-time control system 

and a dynamic model of traditional keys. The 

demonstrator developed by CEA/LIST has not only 

lived up to expectations. It also offers something extra 

– low cost! This makes it compatible with industrial 

production of keyboards integrating the new keys. 

Other potential applications include sensory interfaces 

and the design of new types of brakes and active dampers 

for motor vehicles. 

Sylvie Guigon – Atouts Bio Nr 4 – 2007, March 

* LIST : Laboratory for Integration of Systems and Technologies. 

> RHEOLOGY: Branch of mechanics 

concerned with the study of flows 

in liquids and related deformation 

phenomena. 



© CEA/Inserm-GBF 

ANTICANCER DRUGS TACKLE 

SCHIZOPHRENIA 

Since they created the first “model” schizophrenic 

mouse in 2002, pharmacologists from the 

CEA and INSERM have been making one 

discovery after another, the reward! The 

reward being an alternative to existing 

schizophrenia therapies. They observed an 

improvement in the animal's behavior after 

administering the epithilone D molecule, 

an anticancer drug. In their efforts to find a 

remedy, they focused on neurons rather than 

the neurotransmitters involved in the disease 

and currently treated by antipsychotic drugs. 

In 2002, researchers found a link between 

schizophrenia and cell microtubules for 

the first time ever. They observed behavior 

disorders in the animal if they deactivated 

Compared with those of the expression of a protein 

a normal mouse (A), the 

microtubules (shown in involved in microtubule 

green) of the neurons of a function. These disorders 

schizophrenic mouse are were reflected in a lack of 

not stable (B) at 4 °C, 

social interaction or maternal 

except when epothilone D 

is present (C). 

feeling, hyperlocomotion or 

spatial memory problems. 

In order to treat this schizophrenia, they turned 

to molecules used in cancer treatment that 

are capable of stabilizing microtubules. They 

opted for epothilone D, one of the few 

molecules that can penetrate the brain. 

Administered at very low doses to prevent its 

blocking action on cells (a trait common to 

all anticancer drugs), it proved highly effective 

in restoring synaptic functions with no adverse 

side effects. This molecule has now been 

patented and will soon be studied in humans. 

Aude Ganier - Les Défis du CEA No. 122 – March 2007 

> NEUROTRANSMITTERS: 

Molecules that transmit information 

from one neuron to another during 

connections known as synapses. 

> MICROTUBULES: Fibers along which 

various components are routed from 

one point of the neuron to another. 

A CLIMATIC UPHEAVAL 

BROUGHT TO LIGHT 

Between ten and three million years ago, 

the tropical rain forests of East Africa 

gradually gave way to savannah. What 

brought about such a radical change 

in the environment? Until recently, 

paleoclimatologists thought the cause was 

twofold: a drop in the CO2 level in the air 

and cooler surface water in the Indian 

Ocean. Today, a French team 1 , including 

researchers from LSCE (Laboratory of 

Climate and Environmental Sciences), a 

joint CEA/CNRS/UVSQ laboratory 2 , has 

discovered a third factor explaining this 

change 3 : the upthrust of the East African 

Rift System. 

This extraordinary geological structure 

saw a renewal in its activity 12 million 

years ago. In response to tectonic activity, 

the Earth's crust was raised before 

collapsing in the center to create a 

6,000 km long valley, bordered by hills, 

plateaus and mountains ranging from 

2,000 m to 5,000 m in height. A 

phenomenon on such a scale as this must 

have had an impact on the climate but 

this impact on the climate, but had never 

been quantified. 

Turning the problem round 

LSCE climatologists therefore teamed up 

with paleontologists and geologists 4 to 

simulate the possible impact of the 

emergence of the East African Rift. “In fact, 

we turned the problem round,” says Pierre 

Sepulchre, a member of the LSCE climate 

modeling team. “We asked ourselves what 

would happen if the Rift didn't exist? We used 

the climate model developed by the Dynamic 

Meteorology Laboratory to perform two digital 

simulations. The first considered geological 

structures only 2,000 m high and the second 

at areas with no relief.” 

The result left no room for doubt: the 

flatter the region, the higher the 

precipitation. Compared with today's 

figures, the average annual rainfall rose 

by 15%for the first simulation and by 40% 

for the second, “The lack of relief allows the 

Indian monsoon to progress farther into the 

continent in winter and causes a moistureladen 

zonal flow between southern Sudan 

and Ethiopia in summer,” explains Pierre 

“ 

Transport of 

moisture from east 

to west or vice 

versa depending 

on the latitude 

and season. 

” 

The emergency of the Rift contributed significantly 

to the desiccation of East Africa, as can be seen in 

these simulations of changes in moisture transport. 

Sepulchre. This humidity results in heavy 

rainfall that favors the development of 

forests, as illustrated by vegetation models 

based on climatic simulation. This goes 

to show that the emergence of the East 

African Rift really is a key factor in the 

desiccation observed in East Africa during 

this period. 

Fabrice Demarthon 

Les Défis du CEA No. 121 – February 2007 

1. Paris Earth Physics Institute, European Institute 

of the Sea in Brest, Human Paleontology 

Laboratory of the University of Poitiers, LSCE. 

2. University of Versailles-Saint-Quentin. 

3. Science, vol. 313, 08.11.06, P. Sepulchre et al.; 

research funded by the CNRS Eclipse 

multidisciplinary program. 

4. From the University of Poitiers, the Paris Earth 

Physics Institute and the European Institute of 

the Sea. 



SUPERDOPED SILICON: 

AN EXCELLENT CONDUCTOR 

Superconducting silicon capable of conducting 

electricity without the slightest resistance? 

Microelectronics specialists would think it quite 

a paradox! 

Because that's exactly the material they use for its intrinsic 

semiconducting powers to control the intensity and 

direction of electric current. Yet a CNRS 1 /CEA 2 /University 3 

collaboration has come up with these results using silicon 

that has undergone chemical treatment at ambient pressure. 

As its superconductivity is only apparent at very low 

temperatures (- 272.8 °C) 4 , its use should be restricted 

to fundamental research laboratories, for testing theories 

on nanostructure superconductivity, for example. 

This result is still quite a performance! 

“In the 1980s, researchers managed to make silicon a 

superconducting material by subjecting it to tremendous 

compression, but its crystalline structure was changed in 

the process,” recalls CEA researcher Christophe Marcenat. 

So he and his colleagues opted for a chemical process in 

which silicon was “doped” through the gradual addition 

of boron, gradually increasing its conducting power. 

Until then, this process had always come up against the 

inability of silicon to absorb large amounts of boron. “To 

get round this problem, we used laser pulses to heat a silicon 

film in an atmosphere of gas containing boron,” explains 

Etienne Busterrret, a CNRS researcher. “These pulses also 

force boron atoms inside the molten material where they 

bind during recrystallization.” So superconductive doped 

silicon isn't such a paradox after all! 

Claire Abou - Les Défis du CEA No. 121 – February 2007 

Adjusting the laser beam used to obtain silicon samples with more boron doping than that obtained through the 

usual silicon microelectronics methods. 

> SEMICONDUCTIVITY: 

Intermediate electrical 

conductivity between 

that of metals and 

insulators. 

1. Laboratory for the Study of the Electronic Properties of Solids, 

Grenoble. 

2. Condensed Matter Fundamental Research Department, Grenoble. 

3. Condensed Matter and Nanostructure Physics Laboratory, University 

of Lyon 1 and CNRS; Basic Electronics Institute, University of Paris- 

Sud and CNRS. 

4. Today's superconducting materials operate within the –273 °C to 

–140°C temperature range. 

© J. Boulmer/CNRS 

200 MM MICROSYSTEMS LINE SEEKS DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS 

CEA/LETI has invested in a 200 mm R&D line 

dedicated to industrial partnerships in the microsystems 

field for development, prototyping and preproduction. 

It’s the ideal solution for creating new products faster 

and at lower cost without investing too soon. 

1,000 square meters of clean rooms, specific equipment 

worth €20 million available 24/7, teams of researchers 

and technicians boasting 20 years of experience in 

microsystems. That, in a nutshell, is what LETI is offering 

industrial firms in Grenoble wishing to develop 

components on 200 mm silicon wafers. “The microsystems 

industry is still very customized,” observes Bruno Mourey, 

in charge of the project at LETI. Everyone creates their own line (above- 

IC or stand-alone) for niche markets at the cost of heavy investment 

and long development times.“The aim, therefore, is to use LETI resources 

and expertise to work faster and at a lower cost.” 

The solution is based on the 200 mm format, which is not only tomorrow's 

microsystems standard, but also and above all, the current standard on 

a vast number of microelectronic production lines. 

Collaboration projects lasting two to four years will be proposed to 


people in industry. This is the time it takes to develop 

lines (or set of processes), build prototypes, carry out 

preproduction runs and, if the partners wish, transfer 

the technology to their own production site. The platform 

is intended for two types of partners. First, silicon 

founders seeking new markets for their 200 mm facilities. 

Second, manufacturers or end users, who see the 

microsystem as an opportunity for differentiation and 

innovation and who need development work to be 

treated confidentially. 

In all, LETI plans on working with six to ten companies 

keen to invest in mass markets in various sectors, such 

as mobile telephony, consumer products, motor vehicles 

or industrial electronics. It will operate the equipment alone to ensure 

that there are no “leaks” between projects and will allow each partner 

access to its line. It is the only line dedicated to 200 mm microsystems 

in Europe. Platform users will also have access to LETI's microelectronics 

R&D resources as well as its other areas of expertise – characterization, 

design, testing and materials – grouped together at the Minatec cluster. 

CEA Technologies No. 83 – December 2006 



Annual Report 

CEA 2006 

(french or english 

version) 

ARC-NUCLEART IN THE 

LAND OF THE MAYAS 

For the first time since the Atelier de Restauration (Restoration Workshop) 

was created in 1970, the Nucleart Method – resin impregnation and gamma 

irradiation – has been used abroad. 

“This Maya sculpture, discovered on the site 

of Becan in Yucatan, is a unique 

archeological object. It has also been 

declared a national treasure, 

so there was no question of it 

leaving the country,” 

explains Alejandra Alonso, 

a restoration specialist at 

the INAH, the Mexican 

National Institute of 

Anthropology and 

History. The Nucleart 

Method, developed at 

the CEA center in 

Grenoble, was chosen 

for the renovation work. 

“It seemed the most effective 

way of halting any further 

damage to this statuette, a dwarf only 20 cm 

tall, whose body had suffered considerable 

deterioration, with the wood flaking away 

at the slightest touch.” It was therefore decided 

that the first week of the mission 1 would 

be given over to treatment, with the second 

week set aside for three conferences on 

preservation and restoration processes for 

dry and waterlogged wooden objects. 

The Mayan statuette was first impregnated 

with liquid styrene-polyester resin. It was 

then packed in a special container and 

taken under police escort to the industrial 

irradiator located at the heart of the National 

Institute for Nuclear Investigation, 40 km 

outside Mexico City. This gamma irradiator 

induces radioactive polymerization which 

hardens the resin in the wood. Khôi Tran, 

an ARC-Nucleart chemical engineer, is 

working on something of a special agent's 

mission. “Alejandra Alonso Olvera called me 

at the beginning of 2006, asking me to come 

to Mexico City to restore a dry, wooden sculpture 

from the Maya period. This had first been 

Restoration at work 

mentioned back in 2002.” Although 

the INAH is a major preservation 

and restoration center employing 

some one hundred people, 

including forty restorers, it has quite 

modest technical resources. 

The next thing to do was to prepare the 

mission. Using Khôi Tran's diagrams and 

photos, Alejandra was able to have 

alterations made to a 40 l 

pressure cooker made 

in America. Other 

adjustments had to be 

made to the vacuum 

pump, pressure gauges, 

nitrogen cylinder, tubes 

and fittings, irradiation 

parameters, resin formulation – even the 

power supply voltage (110 V in Mexico). 

“But even after six months of preparation, 

there were always surprises in store, like 

the purple color of the impregnating resin.” 

The irradiation treatment lasted 48 hours. 

The consolidation of the sculpture was 

satisfactory and the polychrome resisted 

well, thereby minimizing the risk 

of damage during exhibitions. “We 

demonstrated that Nucleart technology can 

be transferred, especially to emerging 

countries,” stresses Khôi Tran. The process 

is of particular interest in tropical 

countries, where objects densified by 

Nucleart will put up better resistance to 

extreme variations in climate. For the 

past year, Vietnamese archeologists have 

called on ARC-Nucleart to preserve 

waterlogged, wooden, archeological 

objects on site. 

Marc Jary – Le mensuel de Grenoble – October 2006 

1. The mission is fully funded by the Mexican 

authorities. 

Organized every year by the CEA and the Association of French Mayors, the “Save the 

Heritage” competition offers the five award-winning towns the chance to have their 

works of art treated and restored by the ARC-Nucleart Laboratory at the CEA center 

in Grenoble. 

Les Défis du CEA No. 122 - March 2007 

© DR 

France-China Symposium 

on Nuclear Energy 

Regulations, Codes, 

Standards and Qualification 

Rostrum during the Vice-Minister's speech. From left to 

right: the Vice-Minister, Cyril Pinel of the ASN, the French 

Ambassador to China, the Chief Executive Officer of the Chinese 

nuclear safety authority. 

The CEA and the Chinese Safety Authority held 

the first “France-China Symposium on Nuclear 

Energy Regulations, Codes, Standards and 

Qualification” in Beijing on June 4-6, 2007. 

China has recently decided to speed up the 

development of its nuclear program (10 reactors 

in service and 17 at various stages of testing, 

construction and licensing); a number of players 

will be involved: government authorities and 

regulators, utilities, design institutes and industry. 

France has completed a highly successful program. 

One of the keys to success is the implementation 

of a comprehensive set of regulations, codes and 

standards addressing such subjects as supplier 

qualification, equipment certification, on-site 

inspection, etc. 

The symposium provided an opportunity to 

compare current French and Chinese regulations 

and allowed government agencies, utilities, design 

institutes and people from industry to share their 

experience. 

Some 300 people took part (including more than 

200 Chinese). There were contributions from various 

representatives of French industry and the IRSN 

and some Chinese institutes. The Symposium was 

chaired by Mr. LI Ganjie – Vice-Minister of SEPA, 

Administrator of NNSA and Mr. André-Claude 

Lacoste – President of the ASN. 

Using hydrogen to produce 

energy – a traveling exhibition 

The depletion of petroleum resources is forcing us 

to consider other options, especially renewable 

energy sources. Among the possibilities, hydrogen 

offers numerous advantages. It can be easily 



G8 Global Partnership 

Activity report 

2004-2005-2006 

(french and english version. 

Russian version available on 

line http://www-pmg8.cea.fr) 

> These brochures are 

available upon 

request in paper 

format or on line : 

www.cea.fr 

EXHIBITIONS 


produced from any primary energy source (solar, 

wind, nuclear, etc.) and used in a “fuel cell” to 

generate high yields of electricity and heat, with 

water as its only waste product! 

To raise awareness about this important technology, 

the Palais de la Découverte, a science museum in 

Paris, has created a traveling exhibition (first stop 

in Berlin at the Technikmuseum, from May 24 th 

to July 24 th , 2007, then on to the Visiatome before 

the end of the year). The exhibition covers all the 

steps studied at the CEA: production of electricity 

using photovoltaic panels, production of hydrogen 

by electrolysis, storage and retrieval of electrical 

energy using fuel cells. To illustrate how the 

research works, the exhibition uses prototypes 

and laboratory equipment, including the Genepac 

fuel cell, metal plates, graphite plates and 

membranes, along with an educational pack about 

fuel cells. 

As part of its renovation project, the Palais de la 

Découverte will present a stationary version of 

this exhibition in Paris. 

ICAPP 2007 

International Congress on Advances in Nuclear Power 

Plants - “Nuclear Renaissance at Work.” - May 13- 

18, 2007 • Nice Acropolis, France 

The CEA participated in the 2007 ICAPP 

international conference on progress in nuclear 

power plants, covering design, construction, 

operation, and maintenance. This professional 

gathering brought together the most important 

international stakeholders in the electronuclear 

industry around the theme of “nuclear renaissance”. 

It was an occasion for the Nuclear Energy Division 

of the CEA to present its research and development 

milestones in several areas and to co-chair the 

plenary session dedicated to nuclear systems of 

the future. The papers presented by the CEA 

addressed the following areas: 

• Research to optimize existing industrial nuclear 

facilities and development of third-generation 

systems (optimization of fuels and plant life 

spans, better procedures for spent fuel processing, 

advanced methods of computer simulation, etc.) 

• The CEA's commitment to the nuclear systems 

of the future (strategy and planning for sodiumcooled 

fast reactors, materials and fuel 

innovations, and new options for the back end 

of the fuel cycle and waste management) 

Finally, this conference allowed several major 

nuclear actors abroad (USA, Japan, Russia, China, 

South Korea, etc.) to share their vision of the 

nuclear renaissance. 

Following the conference, the participants toured the 

CEA's Marcoule and Cadarache centers.They visited 

certain advanced facilities for nuclear research, such 

as Atalante, a large laboratory dedicated to actinide 

chemistry, and Tore Supra, a tokamak for fusion 

energy studies. 

The 20 th World Energy 

Congress & Exhibition 

is promoted by the World 

Energy Council (WEC*) 

This is the most authoritative international energy 

meeting, to be held in Rome in the new “Nuova 

Fiera” venue, November 11-15, 2007. Excellent 

speakers and thousands of participants will come 

from all over the world. Besides the World Energy 

Council Members, the Congress will welcome 

exhibitors from both energy producing and 

consuming countries, institutions, international 

organizations and energy industry representatives, 

researchers and experts from all over the world, 

and all those who are interested in energy and 

development issues. During the four-day meeting, 

participants will have the chance to visit an 

interesting and important exhibition covering 

20,000 m 2 at the “Nuova Fiera”. Companies 

will have a great opportunity to present their 

products and technological innovations for the 

energy industry to an international and 

distinguished audience. 

*With several Member Committees in over 90 countries, WEC 

aims to monitor the status of the energy industry and find 

solutions fostering the economic development of both industrialized 

and developing countries. It also promotes the sustainable supply 

and usage of energy for the greatest benefit of all people. 


Transducers 07 

TRANSDUCERS has grown into the largest 

multidisciplinary conference on microsensors, 

microactuators, and microsystems, with typically 

900 attendees from government and industry who 

gather every two years to share information on 

the latest advances in the field. This year, the 

technical program consisted of parallel oral sessions 

and poster presentations. Invited speakers 

(including researchers from LETI, the CEA 

laboratory of electronics and information 

technology) gave insightful 

overviews on key topics 

during the plenary session 

and throughout the 

conference, which also 

included short courses and 

exhibitions. 

TRANSDUCERS 07 was 

held in Lyon, France, 

2007, June 10-14 

Visiatome 

The Visiatome is located in Southern France in 

Marcoule, not far from Nîmes. This scientific 

cultural center was created to inform the public 

and answer questions related to radioactivity and 

its applications, the various sources of energy, 

radioactive waste management, and the nuclear 

industry in general. 

The 600-m 2 site offers fun, interactive exhibitions 

addressing all these questions. Educational sessions 

are available to school groups, and scientific 

activities are offered Wednesday afternoons, 

Sundays, and during school vacations. 

> Practical info 

Visiatome - CEA Marcoule - BP 64172 

30207 Bagnols-sur-Cèze cedex 

www.visiatome.fr 

To learn more: Tel: +33 (0)4 66 39 78 78 

contact.info@visiatome.com 

Reservations: Tel: +33 (0)4 66 39 78 78 

Fax: +33 (0)4 66 39 78 30 

reservation@visiatome.com 

© C. Dupont/CEA © P. Stroppa/CEA 


CEA EMBASSY 

COUNSELOR NETWORK 

WASHINGTON 

Jacques FIGUET 

nuclear.counselor@ambafrance-us.org 

BERLIN 

Jean-Marc CAPDEVILA 

jean-marc.capdevila@diplomatie.gouv.fr 

LONDRES 

Alain REGENT 

alain.regent@cea.fr 

HELSINKI 

Claude SAINTE-CATHERINE 

claude.sainte-catherine@cea.fr 

BUDAPEST 

Gérard COGNET 

gerard.cognet@cea.fr 

MOSCOU 

Denis FLORY 

nucleaire.moscou@diplomatie.gouv.fr 

NEW-DELHI 

Hugues de LONGEVIALLE 

hugues.de-longevialle@cea.fr 

SEOUL 

Jean-Yves DOYEN 

energykorea@kornet.net 

BRUSSELS - EU 

Guillaume GILLET 

guillaume.gillet@diplomatie.gouv.fr 

TOKYO 

Pierre-Yves Cordier 

pierre-yves.cordier@cea.fr 

PARIS 

CEA Headquarters 

ceanews.contact@cea.fr 

VIENNA - AIEA 

Marc-Gérard ALBERT 

marc-gerard.albert@diplomatie.gouv.fr 

BEIJING 

Alain TOURNYOL du CLOS 

servnucpekin@yahoo.com 

www.cea.fr 

More information: ceanews.contact@cea.fr

CEA News sept. 2007 - CEA Saclay

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