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In the field of particle accelerators, the interest is growing in the development of compact accelerating structures capable of overcoming the current limitations of conventional ones based on RF pulses.

The DAFNE collider and the SIDDHARTA-2 experiment are preparing for a well-deserved vacation after completing the initial data taking phase dedicated to measurements of kaonic atoms, in particular to the first measurement in the world of the kaonic deuterium.

On July 4th and 5th, the Frascati National Laboratories hosted the scientific workshop of the regional project DEUPAS “Ultrasensitive Determination of Pathogens by Spectroscopy”, a research program supported by the Lazio Region as part of the funding initiative named “2020 Research Groups – LazioInnova”.

In collaborazione con il Servizio Elettronico (G. Papalino), il team di XlabF ha progettato e realizzato una nuova unità sperimentale, la Stazione di Tomografia Computerizzata (CTS), dedicata interamente agli studi avanzati di microtomografia a raggi X.

In the framework of a scientific collaboration with INFN-LNF (BTF, FISMEL, and SPCM teams), researchers from the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL, UK) and ENEA explored an alternative approach to produce Tc-99m radiopharmaceutical, a crucial diagnostic tool in medical imaging, without relying on nuclear reactors. The team has successfully used a dedicated high energy electrons beam from BTF  (E=504 MeV) on a specially designed target by RAL and setup by BTF and SPCM, to investigate the feasibility of direct electronuclear production. A preliminary target solution, consisting of a cascade of very thin foils made of natural Molybdenum, was irradiated in the BTF on March 27-28, 2023 by FISMEL direct supervision, and measured by FISMEL itself in the days after. Gamma spectroscopy was used to measure the radionuclides produced and their activity, which are currently compared to the updated MC predictions, using the real exposure data acquired during the beamtime. The preliminary results confirm the success of the feasibility study. Moving forward, the team will focus on designing a well-optimized target made of Mo-100 enriched to maximize the Mo-99 activity, building upon the positive outcomes of this study. Furthermore, the experimental setup enabled the measurement of the Mo-100(e, e’n)Mo99 cross section at 504 MeV, providing valuable input to the assessment of the physical model used in the Monte Carlo code. Compared to the photonuclear method, where electrons are used to produce bremsstrahlung photons, this direct electronuclear production method should offer several advantages, including reduced harsh environmental dose and reduced spurious secondary RN …

Dr. Stefano Miscetti of the Frascati National Laboratories was recently elected new spokesperson of the Mu2e experiment at Fermilab (Batavia, USA) to work alongside Dr. Robert Bernstein of Fermilab and replace prof. Jim Miller of Boston University.

At 10:00 on December 21st, the third data collection period of the PADME experiment came to an end.

EuPRAXIA is the first European project that develops a dedicated particle accelerator research infrastructure based on novel plasma acceleration concepts and laser technology.

During the Conference EuNPC2022, which was held in Santiago de Compostela from 24 to 28 October 2022, was taking place the meeting of the Nuclear Physics Division (NPD) of the European Physical Society (EPS).

High level fellowships will carry out an interdisciplinary and cross-sector plasma accelerator research and training program for the new EuPRAXIA research infrastructure. The EuPRAXIA Doctoral Network (EuPRAXIA-DN) is a new Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Network (MSCA-DN) offering 12 high-level fellowships between universities, research centres and industry that will carry out an interdisciplinary and cross-sector plasma accelerator research and training program. The network will start on 1 January 2023 and benefit from more than 3.2 M€ of funding over its 4-year duration. Several tens of thousands of particle accelerators are in use today with varied applications in research, industry, medicine and other fields. Yet accelerator usage could be much more widespread, were it not limited by cost and size constraints, especially in hospitals, universities, and small and medium size companies. This would enable ground-breaking applications and innovations on a much larger scale. A possible solution to this bottleneck is the development of more compact – and consequently more cost-efficient – accelerator technologies, a strategy that has been investigated in the past two decades bringing forth plasma accelerators as one of its most promising candidates. EuPRAXIA is the first European project that develops a dedicated particle accelerator research infrastructure based on novel plasma acceleration concepts and laser technology. It focuses on the development of electron accelerators and underlying technologies, their user communities, and the exploitation of existing accelerator infrastructures in Europe. It was accepted onto the ESFRI roadmap for strategically important research infrastructures in June 2021 as a European priority.   Expected …