The mystery at Chernobyl is unfolding

People have been told to stay away from Chernobyl for so long that the place generates mystery, intrigue and myth. We only hear about things the media tells us and, often, important details are left out that can shine a light into these dark places. After all, knowledge is power.

The lava-like material that contains the fuel that melted out of reactor number four can be investigated using advanced analytical techniques and modelling. Image from Ding et al, J. Synchrotron. Rad. (2021) 28, 1672–1683. (CC-BY). Original image of the lava-like fuel hosted by US DoE Digital Library of the International Nuclear Safety Program.

There’s a team of scientists and engineers quietly working in the Chernobyl exclusion zone, and they live there for long periods of time. The sources of radiation are well mapped and the workers likely follow protocols about where to go and how long to be there for. Visitors regularly enter the zone; some are scientists seeking to gain a first-hand understanding of the work they can contribute to and others are members of the public who are led by tour guides.

The Ukrainian authorities and the scientists that work with them have been working closely with organisation such as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for a long time now. It was this effort that successfully got the New Safe Confinement arch in place, and it’s why groups like the Immobilisation Science Laboratory at the University of Sheffield are working on the materials inside Chernobyl’s reactor number four. These scientists know more than is often reported in the wider media and meet regularly to update each other. For some reason media outlets seem to think that the details just aren’t too interesting…