Code That Sees the Invisible: New Software Verifies Spectrometric Measurement Results
Scientists at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research have developed software that helps laboratories verify complex gamma-spectrum measurements in real time, reducing the risk of analytical errors to nearly zero. The system strengthens the reliability of neutron-activation analysis used in environmental monitoring, geology, food safety, and other research-intensive fields.
On April 14, 2026, the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research received a state registration certificate for a new computer program. At first glance, it may look like a routine bureaucratic step. In reality, it marks an important technological shift. Developers at the Laboratory of Neutron Physics created a tool that interactively verifies spectrometric measurements, automatically filters statistically unreliable data, and corrects radionuclide libraries until a near-perfect result is achieved. This is not a mass-market IT product. It is an intelligent software layer designed for unique physics installations, transforming them into ultra-precise research platforms.
The software was developed for specialized laboratories using the Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis method, or INAA. This highly sensitive analytical technique is now widely applied in areas including air-quality control through aerosol filter studies and biomonitoring with mosses, lichens, and leaves, assessment of water bodies, soil bioremediation and wastewater treatment, geology and geoecology, food analysis, nanotoxicology, and other fields.
The developers are Vladimir Galustov and Omari Chaligava, employees of the Neutron Activation Analysis and Applied Research Sector at the Laboratory of Neutron Physics of JINR, working in Gamma Spectrometry Group No. 1. Technically, the application was implemented in the C# programming language. It is fully compatible with personal computers running Windows 10 and later. The software package size is 5.21 MB.
Precision Instead of Guesswork
Neutron activation analysis is a method for the qualitative and quantitative determination of elements based on measuring the radiation characteristics of radionuclides formed when materials are irradiated with neutrons.
Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis makes it possible to determine the elemental composition of samples with extremely high precision, but the method has historically been vulnerable to human error. Interpreting gamma spectra required enormous attention: one incorrectly identified peak could distort conclusions in ecology, biology, or nanotoxicology. The new software closes that gap. Automatic highlighting of questionable data and iterative recalculation reduce the risk of error to nearly zero. This is especially important when laboratories process large volumes of samples. The REGATA setup at the IBR-2 reactor, for which the software was created, now operates faster and with guaranteed reproducibility.
A Trend Toward Digital Independence
The development fits neatly into JINR’s broader trajectory over the past five years. In 2023 - 2024, the institute registered software for neutron-system modeling, irradiation-facility calibration, and spectrometry automation. In 2025, it introduced software for X-ray analysis, followed in early 2026 by a system for monitoring anode-wire tension. A clear pattern is emerging: science is steadily building its own software foundation around advanced hardware infrastructure. This is technological sovereignty in practice. Import substitution here goes far beyond replacing an interface. It requires algorithms deeply embedded into experimental methodology itself. Without such tools, unique reactors would remain dependent on foreign analytical software packages.
The Cleaner and Faster the Analysis, the More Reliable the Result
Who benefits from this “invisible” technology? Citizens do, indirectly but tangibly. The INAA method is already used in biomonitoring of air pollution, agroecological studies conducted jointly with Romanian colleagues, archaeology, and quality control for materials used in high-tech manufacturing. The cleaner and faster the analytical process becomes, the more accurate environmental reports are, the more reliable industrial decisions become, and the deeper scientific expertise grows. The export potential of the product lies not in commercial licenses but in scientific cooperation. JINR, which unites countries from Brazil to Vietnam, has already created infrastructure for methodological exchange. Software of this kind is becoming a natural digital bridge for international collaborations, strengthening Russia’s position as a global center of expertise.
The Future Is Written in Algorithms
The future direction is already clear. The ecosystem around REGATA and IBR-2 will continue expanding - from data collection to automated validation and integration with global databases. Manual verification will gradually give way to machine-learning algorithms capable of recognizing anomalous spectra and generating reports without operator involvement. Domestic scientific software is finally ceasing to be a secondary addition to hardware and is becoming an inseparable intellectual component of the equipment itself. The registration of this software in 2026 is a marker of a new era.
Science today faces major and highly responsible tasks aimed at using the results of fundamental research to address global challenges such as environmental protection, the fight against the most dangerous diseases, and the efficient use of natural resources. Russian scientists are successfully meeting those challenges.
