On 3 June 2024, a new experimental facility, the KATANA water activation loop, began operating at the TRIGA research reactor. This represents an important upgrade of the research capabilities of the Reactor Infrastructure Centre. The development of the new facility was led by Prof. Dr Luka Snoj, Head of the Reactor Physics Division and the TRIGA reactor, with most of the work carried out by doctoral students Domen Kotnik and Julijan Peric.
KATANA enables experiments with activated water, calibration of gamma radiation detectors, and experimental validation of computational methodologies and computer codes for modelling radiation sources that vary in time and space. The facility will also contribute to improving nuclear data for water activation, as well as to testing and developing materials for protection against ionising radiation in future fusion reactors. The new facility is also particularly important for international fusion research. With KATANA, the TRIGA reactor and RIC further strengthen their position among research infrastructures contributing to the development of future low-carbon energy technologies.