UMass Lowell's cutting-edge radiation facilities offer opportunities for experiential learning and problem solving.

Assets Available to Radiological Sciences

Our diverse research assets are available for use by students, faculty, staff and external collaborators.

 Particle accelerator microbeam

Radiation Lab: Accelerator

The 5.5MV Van De Graaff particle accelerator allows for neutron and proton beam studies as well as proton induced X-ray emission, Rutherford Backscattering Spectroscopy, Ion-beam implantation, mono-energetic neutron beams, as well as a micro beam, ends station, and sample changer for sample activation and analysis. Learn more on the Radiation Laboratory website.

Up close picture of the 1million watt nuclear reactor at UMass Lowell

Radiation Lab: Reactor

Nuclear Reactor: the 1 million-watt swimming pool style nuclear reactor can be used for incore and external beam research. Applications include neutron damage to electronics for space applications, Radiation hardening of materials (compounds, metals, plastics, etc.), digital neutron imaging, detector development and proving, new dosimetry modalities, shielding studies, etc. Neutron fluxes up to 2.5E13 n/cms-sec and external beams up to 1500 rem/hr neutron dose rate. Learn more on the Radiation Laboratory website.

Nitrogen-16 Gamma source: with water rich in N-16 photons pumped through an 18” disk, researchers conduct research on the high energy photons typically found in power reactor fields such as, detector development, proving, handling, safety, etc..

Cobalt irradiations: Various strength source provide fields for research in radiation damage, paint applications, polymer science, detector development, and much more. Radiation levels vary from 360 mrem/hr-1 million rad/hr and for small samples, 2 million rad/hr.

Small animal imaging core lab imaging machines including the PET/CT, SPECT/CT, MRI, and CT machines

Small Animal Imaging lab (SAI)

The Small Animal Imaging lab (SAI) consists of imaging modalities such as MRI, CT, PET/CT, SPECT/CT, Optical Imaging AMI-HT, and Spectral CT. These imaging scanners allow in vivo rodent and material imaging for applications in Life Science, Biomedical and preclinical research, such as drug biodistribution, cancer therapeutic assessment radiopharmaceutical research, etc. 

gamma spectroscopy machine within the Health Physics Lab at UMass Lowell

Health Physics Lab

The Health Physics lab contains detection systems, radon and airborne particulate sampling, shielding assessments, and source use. Commonly used to explore the radiation protection levels of shielding, regulations, internal dosimetry, soil analysis, etc.

320kV x-ray therapy machine for radiation research

X-ray Irradiations

This x-ray irradiation lab is capable of delivering photon dose rates of 100rad/min (60krad/hr). Typical uses are cell irradiation and radioprotector or mitigator studies, or use of the photon beam for other dose investigations.

UMass Lowell's quantitative radio chemistry lab set up for analytical and separations chemistry

Radiochemistry and Nuclear Forensics Lab

A state-of-the-art separations lab with capabilities of radiochemistry to determine new separation techniques. Research may include separations of isotopes to allow for recycling of radioactive material into novel cancer treatments. Also identification of unknown special nuclear materials found in weapons via nuclear forensics.

Alpha Spectroscopy Vacuum Chamber

Nuclear Instrumentation Lab

Students will have access to cutting-edge detection to understand the basics of detection and advanced detection using equipment such as Geiger Mueller, Scintillation, Proportional, Alpha and Gamma spectroscopy detectors.

Photon calibration source and trolley bench within the health physics lab at UMass Lowell

Calibration Range

NIST traceable open beam calibration facility containing Cs-137 dose rate exposures up to 100rem/hr. Typical uses are detector calibration, development, energy response, etc. or shielding studies. Also available are NIST traceable neutron dose rates up to 25mrem/hr.

Liquid scintillation Counter setup for sample counting

Radiation Safety Office

The Radiation Safety Office offers experiential learning of the field. Internships and paid opportunities exist to learn and work in the safety office conducting typical routine Health Physics such as training, detector calibrations, radiation assessments, inventory, dosimetry, shipping, waste, and much more.

Training and exercises offered by the radiation safety group for first responders

Securities Connections and Drill support

Our staff and students periodically support and work with first responder in training exercises by providing realistic scenarios and radiations so they can test and train with their equipment and practice their response. We have helped, on many occasions, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), local and state police, State HAZMAT, fire, hospital, ambulance, Department Of Homeland Security (DHS), National Guard, and much more.

to come

Nuclear Application and Nuclear Data Group

The Nuclear Application and Nuclear Data Group features advanced detection capabilities, such as the Mixed Array of Detectors (MAD), this lab probes the nuclide structures and observes their emissions with high precision. This lab is also implementing remote detector operations for off-campus operations and high school labs.

Man looking at piece of equipment in Material Characterization lab

Material Characterization Lab

The Characterizations Lab contains equipment such as Scanning Electron Microscope, X-ray diffraction system, and more. These can be used to characterize nano-engineered materials, photonics, biomaterials, verify chemical separations, etc.

Radiation detectors set in a counting configuration for safeguards research

Integrated Nuclear Security and Safeguards Lab

The Integrated Nuclear Security and Safeguards Lab promotes the development of research, education, and training tools that support a wide range of global nuclear security and safeguards.

Contact Us

For more information, please contact: 

Mark A. Tries
Associate Professor, Coordinator - Radiological Sciences
978-934-3353
Mark_Tries@uml.edu