8–10 Oct 2025
LNGS
Europe/Rome timezone

Possibilities for Applied Science Research at Bellotti IBF

9 Oct 2025, 15:00
40m
Main Conference Room "E. Majorana" (LNGS)

Main Conference Room "E. Majorana"

LNGS

Via G. Acitelli 22 - Assergi, L'Aquila

Speaker

Joao Cruz (Faculdade Ciências e Tecnologia - Universidade Nova de Lisboa)

Description

The Bellotti Ion Beam Facility (IBF), equipped with a 3.5 MV Singletron accelerator located underground at LNGS, can provide unique conditions for Ion Beam Analysis (IBA). The substantial reduction in cosmic-ray flux compared to surface laboratories minimizes natural radioactive background, allowing unprecedented sensitivity for trace element and isotope detection. The accelerator delivers MeV-range H⁺, ⁴He⁺, ¹²C⁺, and ¹²C²⁺ beams, which can be used in a variety of IBA techniques, including Elastic Backscattering Spectrometry (EBS), Particle-Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE), Nuclear Reaction Analysis (NRA), and Particle-Induced Gamma-ray Emission (PIGE). A variety of dedicated setups and detectors—including silicon particle detectors, HPGe detectors, and SSD or CdTe detectors — will enable multiple and flexible configurations tailored to different applications. These capabilities open possibilities for surface and sub-surface applied science in ultra-low concentrations material characterization, environmental studies, and cultural heritage analysis, as well as applications in biology and medical research.

Presentation materials