The XXVIII International Seminar on Interaction of Neutrons with Nuclei ISINN-28 was traditionally held at the end of May but for the first time in its history in an online format. Its co-organizers were FLNP JINR and the State Key Laboratory of Intense Pulsed Radiation Simulation and Effect of the Northwest Institute of Nuclear Technology of China (NINT). Chinese participants gathered in Xi’an, and specialists from Albania, Argentina, Austria, Belarus, Bulgaria, Canada, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Great Britain, Egypt, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Mongolia, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Sweden, Ukraine, the USA, FLNP JINR and FLNR JINR employees took part in the event online.

The programme of the Conference covered a wide range of issues of neutron physics: from basic properties of the neutron and basic interactions in reactions with neutrons, nuclear fission, ultracold neutrons to analytical methods in material and life sciences. More than 120 of the 218 registered participants presented reports or posters. Some of the participants shared their impressions with the JINR Weekly Newspaper.

Jiaqi Hu, Professor, Nuclear Sciences Xi’an Jiaotong University (China): The annual conference ISINN is a meeting of high academic importance. In the conditions of some obstacles to free communication, thanks to the joint efforts of the North-Western Institute of Nuclear Technology and FLNP JINR, the online meeting was successfully held this year. Many reports and posters at the Conference were very informative, some of them turned out to be very interesting for me, for example, the report on neutron-antineutron oscillations, thick characteristics of fission fragments, and others.

Many of my students and postgraduates, as well as young teachers, took part in the Conference or registered on the website and listened to the speeches. Together with colleagues from FLNP, we have already prepared candidates of sciences. I hope that in the future we will be able to establish substantive interaction with colleagues from FLNP JINR based on cooperation plans between China and Russia. For example, within the National Foundation of Natural Sciences and projects of the talented youth exchange programmes.

The CSNS — Back-n White Neutron project leader Jingyu Tang, Institute of High Energy Physics, CAS: I took part in the ISINN conference in Chinese Xi’an held in 2018. Of course, online meetings are much less effective than live communication. On the one hand, communication with remote speakers and participants asking questions is not always good. On the other hand, participants themselves are less concentrated on the meeting, distracted by other issues. Nevertheless, it is better than cancelling the conference. I find the combination of in-person and online formats, as it was at this event, successful. We did really have a good information exchange, and this contributed to bringing participants together.

I have been in contact with Walter Furman (FLNP) since the previous conference in Dubna. We agreed that he would come to the CSNS laboratory for three months, we received financial support from the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The coronavirus interfered with our plans, but we are waiting for the right moment to continue the cooperation of the two laboratories. And the arrival of V. I. Furman at the CSNS only encourages it.

The most permanent foreign participant of the Conference Piter Heltenbort, France, did not give a talk this time: I have heard the most interesting for me reports, I am keen on ultracold neutrons. I like in-person communication more, especially in informal settings during coffee breaks, and this is not possible in the online format. Of course, I recall wonderful picnics with kebabs on the banks of the river in Dubna with tears coming to my eyes. It was a peculiarity of ISINN meetings in Dubna.

Aman Gandhi, Banaras Hindu University, India: It is the second time I have participated in the ISINN conference, I first came to Dubna for ISINN-25. I had an opportunity to give a talk and make a poster presentation when I took part in the event for the first time and at the XXVIII Conference. So I am very grateful to the organizing committee for the opportunity to present my work on the international arena. The online format of the Conference allows freely communicate with all the participants, and the programme of the event has been implemented strictly in time and with a good video quality. After my presentation, I received questions that were useful; we have already discussed some issues with colleagues from FLNP.

Dmitry Martyanov Joint Institute for Energy and Nuclear Research, Sosny, Belarus: The conference was good, I liked many reports, and I missed scientific communication in general. The online format of the Conference is a great solution during the pandemic or when there are obstacles for wide participation in an ordinary format (for example, complexity of organization, high cost of participation, problems with visas or transport). And still, direct, in-person communication cannot be replaced, and trips allow exploring the world and get joyful impressions. That is why I am sure that the traditional format will remain the main, and I hope to come to Dubna once again.

From a technical point of view, the additional problem is that during live communication participants are divided into groups of 3-4 people and discuss the issues concerning them in a comfortable regime. This is not possible at a web conference with a single entrance point. It was a pleasure to listen to reports on the topics of my interest, namely neutron-induced reactions, the current state of numerous experimental sites, as well as reports on cold neutrons and fundamental properties of the neutron. I would like to highlight the report by Vadim Bunakov on the connection of neutron resonances with quantum chaos.

So, ISINN-28 passed. The online format has attracted the countries that have not taken part in it before, the total number of participants has increased. However, there are disadvantages of such a format: the time for communication convenient for Chinese and European specialists is inconvenient for representatives from the Western Hemisphere. And the ISINN picnic has always continued discussions…

Olga Tarantina,
JINR Weekly Newspaper