Nuclear Photonics is an emerging interdisciplinary research field. It comprises advances on high-power laser-driven generation of beams of MeV-range photons, of light and heavy ions, and of brilliant neutron bursts. Research on photonuclear science will provide precious data for nuclear structure physics, nuclear astrophysics, natural nucleosynthesis, and nuclear fission research, along with their scientific interpretation. Advances in laser-target interactions, specific aspects of particle accelerator science, radiation-hard particle detectors, and developments in metrology will expand the technological and methodological reach of Nuclear Photonics. Research trainees will benefit from world-leading instrumentation in this field which they can exploit for their research project in an international collaborative and intellectually challenging environment with the guidance by a diverse team of experienced research trainers.
The research training plan of the proposed project embraces the entire scientific production chain of Nuclear Photonics from the fundamental methods for the laser-induced generation of photon-and particle beams and their detection and quantitative characterization to their usage in fundamental research in nuclear science and nuclear astrophysics or for potential technological applications. All research activities expand beyond the current state of the art in three related areas of research:
A. Development of novel laser-generated radiation sources
B. Scientific exploitation of MeV-range photon beams
C. Advancement of methodology and instrumentation for Nuclear Photonics