​The PhLAME Group is a world-leading, multi-disciplinary, industry-academia, collaborative research group. The PhLAME Group comprises three key research areas based on the analysis and characterisation of materials and their environments:
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  1. (i) Remote / stand-off, in-situ photonics analysis and characterisation of materials and environments,
  2. (ii) 3D LiDAR, laser scanning and 3D visualisation and
  3. ​(iii) Lab-based materials & environmental photonics characterisation techniques and applications.
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All interlinked in various ways, these three research areas undertake high-impact scientific research and development to underpin photonics and laser-based, analysis and characterisation of materials and environments in the nuclear (and other) industries.

​Why is characterisation required in the nuclear industry?

  • Decommissioning and clean-up on UK nuclear licensed sites is driving for rapid, in situ characterisation without compromising operator dose and worker safety.
  • Cost of nuclear waste management up is >£70bn & in situ analysis provides an opportunity to apply the waste management hierarchy in real time situations.
  • The number of disposal routes has increased, with a wider emphasis on waste acceptance criteria and the characteristics of the waste and its potential to impact negatively on the receiving facility.
  • Taking samples for lab analysis can be both expensive, destructive to the material of interest and also carry a dose intake to the operator.  Taking physical samples may also not be possible at the current time.
  • LIBS (laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy) and Raman spectroscopy can identify materials, in a non- or minimally-destructive manner, & can have a real benefit if it is possible to be applied to real time characterisation. 

THE GROUP

The PhLAME group is collaborative research group made up of scientists and researchers from The National Nuclear Laboratory and University of Manchester:

​Nick Smith
Divyesh Trivedi
Chris Lennon
Owen Horsfall
Mark Sarsfield
Tom Majchrowski
Thomas Carey
Lin Li
David Hodgetts
​Philip Martin
Nick Smith 
David Whitehead
Paul Coffey
​Billy Head
James Thomson
Greg Hull
Adam Lang

The Phlame Group is funded by: