Experience at the IAEA nBEAM 2025 Workshop in Vienna

I recently got the opportunity to attend the Joint IAEA–Consultative Committee for Ionizing Radiation Workshop on Neutron Beams at High Energy: Applications and Metrology (nBEAM 2025) held at the IAEA Headquarters in Vienna, Austria on July 7–8, 2025 [Figure 1]. This was my very first visit to the IAEA [Figure 2], and it felt like stepping into a truly global hub of science and collaboration.Figure 1: Delegates of nBEAM workshop at IAEA, headquarters, ViennaFigure 2: IAEA headquarters, ViennaThe workshop mainly focused on high-energy neutron beams and their growing importance in different fields. With rapid developments in accelerator technology, space exploration, and advanced medical applications, neutrons beyond 20 MeV are becoming essential. For example, electronics used in satellites and spacecraft must be tested against cosmic-ray-like neutron backgrounds, which span up to several GeV. Space dosimetry is also becoming more crucial as we plan for future long-duration missions, where astronauts will be exposed to complex radiation environments. Even in aviation, dosimetry at high altitudes is important. Detectors such as CR-39 and Tissue Equivalent Proportional Counters need proper calibration at aviation altitudes or using high-energy neutron fields to simulate those conditions. Similarly, radiation dosimeters for high-energy accelerator fields need to be characterised beyond 20 MeV to study their energy response. Cross-section measurements, heavy ion therapy, Boron Neutron Capture Therapy, and detector response studies all depend on access to high-energy neutron beams. However, despite the growing need, such facilities are still quite limited worldwide. At the workshop, we were introduced to some of the prominent centers providing these beams–iThemba in South Africa, CERF, the nACT@BDF beam dump facilities and n_TOF at CERN, RCNP in Osaka University, NEPIR at INFN-LNL, the 70–200 MeV facilities in China, and ChipIR in the UK for electronics testing. These are specialized setups where very advanced experiments can be performed, but access usually requires international collaborations or applying for beam time. The best part of the workshop was that it brought both facility providers and users together in the same room. There were open discussions about the current capabilities, the gaps in availability, and the future requirements from the user community. It felt very collaborative, with people sharing their experiences and ideas freely. Such interactions really help in building partnerships and finding practical solutions. I am from BARC, RP and AD, where I work in the neutron monitoring group. At present, I am a Postdoctoral Researcher at Uppsala University, Sweden, working on setting up a 14 MeV DT neutron beamline and studying detector responses under high-energy cosmic-ray-like conditions. For me, this workshop was extremely relevant because it gave a much wider perspective on how neutron science is progressing globally and what directions it is moving towards. Meeting experts from so many different countries, each working on unique challenges, was very inspiring. Visiting the IAEA Headquarters was an experience in itself. It is a place where science, diplomacy, and history come together. I still remember the goosebumps I felt seeing the statue of Dr. Homi Jehangir Bhabha [Figure 3] right in front of the IAEA Board Room, standing alongside only a few great scientists like Democritus, Marie Curie, and Enrico Fermi. It made me proud to think about Bhabha’s role not just in shaping India’s nuclear programme but also in contributing to the global nuclear dialog.Figure 3: Statue of Dr. Homi Bhabha inside IAEAFinancial support and sponsorship Nil. Conflicts of interest There are no conflicts of interest.