Measurements of neutron-induced reaction cross-section of
interest for nuclear astrophysics and emerging nuclear technologies
at the neutron-time-of-flight facility n_TOF at CERN (Switzerland) and
GELINA at the EC-JRC-Geel laboratory
(Belgium).
The research activity aims at addressing some specific problems
around a more general question in nuclear astrophysics: how
the elements are synthesized in the universe. Although the most
important sites of element formation and the nuclear processes
involved have been identified, important details are still largely
unexplained, thus hindering a comprehensive understanding of the
nucleosynthesis processes.
The opportunity to address some of these long-standing questions
is offered by the availability of powerful neutron time-of-flight
facilities, in combination with innovative detectors. The same
results are beneficial for basic nuclear physics and emerging
nuclear technologies (Accelerator Driven Systems, Transmutation and Gen-IV reactors) as well as for medical application (cancer neutron capture therapy).
The research activities concentrate on: R&D of innovative
detectors; measurements of selected (n, g), (n, p) and (n, a)
reactions; data analysis and dissemination of the results.
