Cebo Ngwetsheni, who hails from Queenstown, Eastern Cape, always wanted to be a scientist or an engineer — something that would allow him to do research and work with cutting-edge technology.
He is one of the innovators who will present their scientific research breakthroughs at the Tastes of Nuclear conference to be held virtually next week.
“Science never stops. It’s at the core of human advancement,” said the University of the Western Cape (UWC) PhD student.
“It’s what will carry us out of this pandemic and into the future. We may not always know how, but it’s beautiful to see the amazing applications that come from our research. I’m really looking forward to hearing from professionals in the field.”
He will be presenting about the enhancement of photon strength functions at low energies and their effects. He has published a paper titled Continuing influence of shell effects at high-excitation energies.
Ngwetsheni also maintains an interest in farming. He has partnered with cousins and friends in his home village to manage sheep, pigs and crops.
“I’m not really interested in the corporate world, but I do like the idea of running a successful business. Farming is something I grew up with, thanks to my grandparents, and it’s very interesting. Getting it right requires a lot of thought and constant learning, and that’s something I’m passionate about,” he said.
“It was a tough decision for, me but ultimately I was more interested in the fundamentals of physics, and I came to UWC to pursue it.
“In my third year, I started developing a passion for nuclear physics. Getting to research deeper into the core of the matter was interesting, and I found I understood it better than other subjects and wanted to understand it more,” he said.
Students, post-docs and researchers from about the world will also present on their ongoing research projects at the annual conference.
For Prof Simon Connell from the department of mechanical engineering science at the University of Johannesburg, nuclear science is the answer to green mining.
“Innovation is the most important driver of the economy. Through our work, we intend to affect change and promote the protection of intellectual property. We want to encourage researchers and show them there is value to their research. They should not just publish and walk away but commercialise it,” said Connell.
His research is about the use of three-dimensional imaging (related to medical X-ray technology) in the mining industry, particularly for finding diamond minerals without physical labour.
“This is intelligent mining technology. Instead of spending millions breaking down countless rocks to find the mineral, this technology can detect it underground. This is a green solution that also saves companies money and time,” he said.
Connell is confident the technology developed will ensure a long life for mines, and “this way they avoid processing unnecessary rock”.
Even in the midst of a global pandemic, researchers are conducting work that can change the way we understand the universe, he said.
“We have completed a full dress rehearsal of this technology in an online real-time diamond mining scenario showing the capacity to process 1,000 tons of rock per hour to discover diamonds down to 6mm diameter locked in the host kimberlite rock with sizes up to 160mm diameter.
“This provides the first high-throughput 3D quantitative imaging of locked diamonds within kimberlite rocks. One can form a 3D carbon density distribution map, and operate on that with an artificial intelligence,” he said.
The conference will feature presentations from innovators from across the world. It is taking place from November 30 to December 4.
