Repairs have been completed on a key power line and other energy infrastructure vital for nuclear safety at the ZNPP, as part of efforts to strengthen its access to the electricity grid and help reduce the risk of a nuclear accident during the military conflict, IAEA Director General @rafaelmgrossi said today: iaea.org/newscenter/pressrel…

We all know Marie Curie was the first woman to win a @NobelPrize in Physics, but do you know who was the second? It was Maria Goeppert Mayer who was born on this day in 1906. Her PhD thesis in physics in 1930 explored how atoms might interact with photons, and this work was described by and Nobel Laureate Eugene Wigner as “a masterpiece of clarity and concreteness”. Thirty years later, after the development of lasers, scientists were finally able to prove the crux of her original research: atoms absorb light as two photons, simultaneously. To measure two-photon absorption, scientists now use the Goeppert Mayer (GM) unit. In the late 1940s, Goeppert Mayer developed a mathematical model for the structure of nuclear shells. This model helped explain the configurations for atomic nuclei, and it earned her a share of the 1963 Nobel Prize in Physics. Although her nuclear shell model has since evolved, it laid an important foundation for our current understanding of the atomic nucleus structure and how it behaves.

At the recent 79th World Health Assembly, the IAEA highlighted how it supports equality in global cancer care through the #RaysOfHope initiative. By procuring essential equipment, providing training and capacity building for medical professionals and assessing national needs, the IAEA is supporting countries in the fight against cancer. ➡️ atoms.iaea.org/4w7UCNY

IAEA Director General @rafaelmgrossi visited Japan this week to strengthen cooperation in nuclear energy, safety, environmental remediation and cancer care.  ➡️ atoms.iaea.org/4ao5cYJ

An excellent exchange with Prime Minister @takaichi_sanae in Tokyo on the growing role of nuclear energy in supporting energy security and economic development, Japan’s interest in fusion, progress in the long-term work at Fukushima Daiichi NPS, as well as developments in Iran and the DPRK. I also thanked Prime Minister Takaichi for 🇯🇵’s steadfast support for the @IAEAorg and its mission around the world, and for our close cooperation across a wide range of priorities.

The IAEA has launched the first publicly available interactive tool providing a view of the world’s spent nuclear fuel inventory. Built on data, reported by countries, the Global SNF Inventory Tool provides transparent insights into how spent nuclear fuel is stored, processed, and managed worldwide, supporting informed decision-making and international collaboration on long-term nuclear safety. 🔗 Read more: atoms.iaea.org/4vHNzvD

An IAEA team of experts said Egypt demonstrates a strong commitment to nuclear and radiation safety. The team also encouraged further regulatory improvements, including updating Egypt’s national policy and strategy for nuclear and radiation safety to align more closely with IAEA safety standards. Read more: atoms.iaea.org/4esEr7V

IAEA Director General @rafaelmgrossi is back at Fukushima Daiichi NPS 🇯🇵, where the @iaeaorg maintains a continuous presence and independent monitoring of the ALPS-treated water discharges. ‌ Three years after the releases began, the data continue to confirm that the discharges are proceeding in line with international safety standards.

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi today participated in the additional measures to collect seawater samples, together with other international experts from China, the Republic of Korea and Switzerland, near the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, as part of continuous efforts to ensure that radioactivity levels remain well below safety levels.  The Additional Measures agreed by the IAEA and Japan in 2024 aim to broaden international participation and enhance transparency in the IAEA’s sampling and independent analysis in relation to the discharge of Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS) treated water. atoms.iaea.org/4uYC2qv

Happy Birthday to Nobel Laureate Martin L. Perl! He is famous for discovering a subatomic particle called the tau lepton. In a series of experiments conducted in the mid-1970s at the @SLAClab, Perl and his colleagues used a new particle accelerator to smash electrons and positrons together and observed a phenomenon that could not be explained with the then current scientific knowledge of subatomic particles. The new accelerator was capable of reaching higher energy levels, giving them the ability to detect shorter-lived particles, which Perl named the ‘tau’. This work earned him a share of the @NobelPrize in Physics in 1995.

The Republic of South Africa has completed its first imPACT Review, marking a key step in national efforts to strengthen cancer control and expand access to quality cancer care. Conducted by the IAEA in collaboration with the @WHO, the review supports South Africa’s commitment to improving cancer services and identifies priority areas for future IAEA technical cooperation. As the country develops its new National Cancer Control Plan, the review findings will strengthen South Africa’s engagement with global initiatives, including the IAEA's flagship #RaysOfHope initiative, helping the country to expand access to quality cancer care for all. ➡️atoms.iaea.org/4oFp8vS

#Accelerators2026 kicks off today, bringing 500+ experts from 75+ countries together to explore how particle accelerators are transforming research and innovation. Join the 2nd IAEA International Conference on Accelerators in Vienna or online via livestream through the conference webpage & ConfApp. 🔗livestreaming.iaea.org

Ukraine’s ZNPP was reconnected to the electrical grid at 5:50pm local time today, ending the latest loss of off-site power event after 4.5 hours.

Particle accelerators are not only used in fundamental research, but they also have many applications related to health, food safety, security and more. Swipe to learn how particle accelerators work and discover ways nuclear science pushes our progress on #NuclearExplained.

The Zaporizhzhya NPP today lost off-site power for the 20th time during the military conflict, once again underlining the precarious nuclear safety situation at the site. The IAEA’s team at the ZNPP reported that its emergency diesel generators automatically started operating to provide back-up electricity for reactor core cooling and other essential nuclear safety functions. The team has been informed that an issue with the site’s internal power lines caused the latest disconnection of the ZNPP’s only available off-site power line, the 330 kilovolt (kV) Ferosplavna-1. Meanwhile, repairs of the ZNPP’s main 750 kV Dniprovska line - disconnected for the past three months - are continuing, under an IAEA-brokered localized ceasefire and also monitored by its teams on both sides of the Dnipro River. The latest loss of off-site power highlights the vital importance of strengthening the ZNPP’s connection to the electrical grid as part of efforts to help prevent a nuclear accident, DG @rafaelmgrossi says.

Work to repair the main 750 kilovolt (kV) Dniprovska power line supplying the ZNPP began today under a localized ceasefire brokered by the IAEA, marking an important step towards strengthening nuclear safety, Director General @RafaelMGrossi said. iaea.org/newscenter/pressrel…