RESEARCH REACTORS AND RADIOCHEMISTRY - PARTNERS IN A CHANGING WORLD

The raison d'etre of research reactors is based on their role in a num ber of research fields, including radiochemistry. Inversely, it is in the interest of a healthy development of radiochemistry that a suffici ent number of reactors will remain in operation and that the downward trend is in this reversed. In this paper, directions for further devel opments in reactor based radiochemistry are discussed, taking into acc ount also relevant developments in competing fields. The discussion is focused on neutron activation analysis as well as tracer applications and environmental radiochemistry. Moreover, the consequences for reac tor operations will be indicated.