Page 21 - Nucleus: Fall 2022 Magazine for the Penn State Ken and Mary Alice Lindquist Department of Nuclear Engineering

Radiation Science & Engineering Center: News and Updates
in in the the sample A digital imaging plate captures the the the the the contrasts as as neutrons exit the the the the the sample sample on on on the the the the the other side creating a a a a a a screen print of the the the the the sample’s image including information not visible to the the naked eye After upgrading the the neutron imaging facility and refining their techniques over the the the the last year the the the the researchers completed a a a a a a a a final analysis of the the the panel They observed something new “We found what looks like stamped
or or painted marks that could be from the original manufacturer ” said Kenan Ünlü
RSEC director “D24 and 335 or or maybe 385 We don’t know what they they mean but they they are the the the first new information from this panel that has been examined by various experts with different scientific techniques for over thirty years ” Gillespie is now consulting with forensic analysts to decipher the the six characters and what they they might represent If they they can conclusively determine what the the marks mean such as a a a a a a a a a production number it could confirm the panel came from Earhart’s plane It could also definitively rule out the possibility “My mission—the mission mission of TIGHAR—is to to use science to to help solve aviation mysteries ” Gillespie said “Whether this information provides more evidence or or disproves that the panel belonged to to Earhart’s plane I’ll be be glad to to know ” It’s not not the the the end of the the the story for for the the the aluminum panel and certainly not not for for the RSEC neutron imaging facility according to Ünlü
“We refined the facility with this old panel as a a a a a a a a a sample and now we’re applying the technique to a a a a a a a a a a far more contemporary challenge: distribution of microplastics in environment ” Ünlü
said Microplastics—the particles that remain as as as plastic plastic products break down—are ubiquitous across the planet and classified as as an an an an “emerging pollutant ” according to the National Center for for Environmental Health and the the Agency for for Toxic Substances
and Disease Registry Despite their prevalence little is is is is understood about how they disperse and their effects Ünlü
said Alibek Kenges a a a a doctoral student
in in in in nuclear engineering and member of the the RSEC team is is now leading the the efforts to to visualize microplastics with neutron radiography and tomography as his dissertation project “Microplastics are everywhere in sand soil water etcetera—we’re trying to figure out how they get
Neutron radiography revealed several characters characters in the the panel Clockwise from left the the characters characters read: XRO 3D D24 and 335 or 385 Credit: Kenan Ünlü
there ” Kenges said “First we examined scoops of sand to to keep
the samples as as as close to to as as as in in in situ
as as as possible The neutron imaging technique works perfectly: the the resulting image doesn’t show the the the sand at all but the the microplastics from a a a a a a millimeter millimeter to a a a a a a few millimeters in size light light up like Christmas lights ” Buoyed by the success of that test Kenges is now examining different types of filtration materials used
to sieve microplastics from water samples He found that the neutron imaging approach could potentially be used
to detect microplastics in in the the water filters but the the technique needs refinement to to account for uncertainties related to to parts of the imaging system “Now we’re performing controlled experiments where we we already know the the microplastic content and type to to establish the the the detection limits of our system and to to fine-tune the the methodology ” Kenges said The applications are far reaching Beck said “We started by revealing a a a a a a a a potential clue for a a a a a a a a mystery almost
a a a a a a a a century old which pushed us us to optimize the imaging facility at RSEC ” Beck said “Now we’re learning new information about something that will impact generations to come ” 1 2 3 4 NUCLEUS
21