Experimental facilities and means

The IRSN has developed and used its experimental facilities and means. Below, there is a list describing some of these.

Radiation protection for human health and environnement ​​​​

In the field of radiation protection for people and the environment, the facilities are mainly located at Fontenay aux Roses and Cadarache.

The ALPHÉE accelerator

ALPHÉE is an accelerator similar to the radiotherapy machines used in the medical field. IRSN uses it to carry out research dealing with the effects of irradiation on healthy tissue and their evaluation and treatment. The facility is used to irradiate biological samples, i.e. cells, tissue and small animals.

The AMANDE facility

The AMANDE facility (Accelerator for metrology and neutron applications for external dosimetry) produces monoenergetic neutron reference fields, with two objectives: metrology related to neutron fluence and dose equivalents quantities and testing and calibrating neutron sensitive devices at multiple specific energies.

Resources developed to measure very low concentrations of radionuclides in the environment

IRSN has developed a range of measurement resources used to quantify radionuclides present at very low concentrations, or even at trace levels, in samples taken from the environment. Some of these measurement resources are found at the Environmental Radioactivity Measurement Laboratory (LMRE).

Metrology and calibration of neutron measuring instruments​

IRSN operates and is developing a large technical platform at the Cadarache center (Bouches du Rhône) for neutron metrology and calibration of neutron measuring instruments, particularly for radiation protection, having been designated the national holder of neutron dosimetry reference standards by France’s national testing laboratory (LNE).

T​he SARRP irradiator

The SARRP irradiator (Small Animal Radiation Research Platform) is an image-guided microirradiation system, delivering low energy X-rays, for small animals. The IRSN uses it to conduct preclinical research on the effects of irradiation on healthy tissue and its treatment.

EPIC project: an Experimental Plateform In Chernobyl

The EPIC is a tool to study the transport of radionuclides in soil and aquifer.

The MIRCOM microbeam​

MIRCOM, the ion microbeam for radiobiology of intra- and intercellular communications, is an irradiation platform with an ion microbeam capable, with micrometric precision, of targeting cellular or subcellular elements with a defined number of charged particles.

PARISII, the experimental platform for in vivo contamination

PARISII encompasses the entire infrastructure, including housing rooms and various specialized laboratories, required to study the biological effects on internal radionuclide contamination.

The MICADO Lab experimental platform

MICADO Lab (French acronym for Chronic irradiation facility for laboratory studies of the dose-effect relationship) is an external gamma irradiation platform designed for studying the effects on ecosystems of chronic exposure to ionising radiation.

OPERA network

OPERA network allows measurements of radioactivity levels in the environment.

SORA Station

The SORA station provides data on the concentrations of the main substances present in the Rhône, just before it flows into the Mediterranean Sea.