TECH-FPA PhD Retreat 2026
LNS

This is the Indico webpage for the four-day retreat and school that will take place at the Laboratori Nazionali del Sud (LNS) of the National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN) from 16 to 19 February, 2026. The event is part of the University of Padua's PhD Programme in Technologies for Fundamental Research in Physics and Astrophysics, which is run in collaboration with ten other Italian universities, with the National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN) and the National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF).
The first two days of the School will serve as a kick-off for students of the 41st cycle and for those of the 40th cycle who couldn't attend the School in 2025. These students must arrive in time for the start of the event on Monday 16th February at 14:00.
They will have the opportunity:
- to get to know each other and the teaching staff;
- to understand the mission, structure, organisation of INFN and INAF;
- to know the main scientific and technological challenges that motivate the research of the two institutions and the tools used to carry it out;
- to learn about the courses that are offered within each PhD curriculum;
- to attend a course on soft skills.
Students of the 39th and 40th cycles are invited to join the group on Wednesday 18th February at 9:00. All together they will participate in:
- activities and discussions that will enrich their doctoral training, organized in plenary and parallel sessions for each curriculum;
- visits to the scientific and technological infrastructures of the Laboratories and of the Astrophysical Observatory in Serra la Nave.
In addition, students of the 2nd year are asked to prepare a poster illustrating their PhD activities, that will be exposed and presented in the poster session on Wednesday afternoon.
3rd-year students are instead invited to propose a presentation on topics related to their research activity that are of particular scientific or technological interest to be given on Wednesday afternoon (see the " Poster session and 3rd-year students seminars" page for further details).
On Thursday 19th February, the School will finish for everyone in the afternoon.
Attendance is compulsory for all PhD students: those unable to attend are asked to provide a justification.
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14:00
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15:00
Introducing the PhD Retreat and the participants Sala E.Migneco
Sala E.Migneco
LNS
Convener: Mose' Mariotti (Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare)-
14:00
Welcome and Introduction - The PhD Programme and the Retreat 15mSpeaker: Mosè Mariotti (Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare)
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14:15
PhD students flash presentations 40m
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14:55
Supervisors and Coordinators 5m
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14:00
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15:00
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16:00
INAF's and INFN's scientific mission: key questions being addressed Sala E.Migneco
Sala E.Migneco
LNS
Convener: Demetrio Magrin (INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova)-
15:00
Uncovering the fundamental constituents of everything 30mSpeaker: Vincenzo Greco (Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare)
- 15:30
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15:00
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16:00
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16:30
Coffee break 30m Canteen
Canteen
LNS
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16:30
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18:00
INAF's and INFN's experimental activities: ingenuity and passion at work Sala E.Migneco
Sala E.Migneco
LNS
Convener: Demetrio Magrin (INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova)-
16:30
The tools and technologies to unravel nature's secrets down to the smallest scale: accelerators 30mSpeaker: Dr David Mascali (LNS)
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17:00
The tools and technologies to unravel nature's secrets down to the smallest scale: detectors 30mSpeaker: Nadia Pastrone (Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare)
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17:30
How to discover the secrets of nature up to the largest scales 30mSpeaker: Giovanni Pareschi (INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera)
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16:30
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18:00
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19:00
INFN and INAF: structure and operation Sala E.Migneco
Sala E.Migneco
LNS
Convener: Demetrio Magrin (INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova)-
18:00
How INFN works (and how to get around inside it) 30mSpeaker: Alessia Rita Tricomi (Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare)
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18:30
How INAF works (and how to get around inside it) 30mSpeaker: Maria Elisabetta Palumbo (INAF)
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18:00
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20:30
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22:30
Welcome dinner 2h
https://maps.app.goo.gl/piUQfzfxpjiCsePe9
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14:00
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15:00
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08:30
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10:30
"Authentic Impact" course Round Table
Round Table
LNS
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08:30
First part 2hSpeaker: Barbara van Bakel
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08:30
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10:30
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11:00
Coffee break 30m Canteen
Canteen
LNS
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11:00
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13:00
"Authentic Impact" course Round Table
Round Table
LNS
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11:00
Second Part 2hSpeaker: Barbara van Bakel
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11:00
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13:00
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14:30
Lunch break 1h 30m Canteen
Canteen
LNS
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14:30
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15:45
The curricula and course offerings for the academic year 2025-2026 Sala E.Migneco
Sala E.Migneco
LNS
- 14:30
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14:45
Detectors, Lasers and Optics 15mSpeakers: Matteo Munari (INAF), Salvatore My (Università degli Studi di Bari and INFN)
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15:00
Computing 15mSpeaker: Stefano Giagu (Sapienza Università di Roma and Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare)
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15:15
Electrotechnics and Accelerators 15mSpeakers: Antonio Palmieri (Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare), Mauro Migliorati (Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare)
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15:30
Electronics 15mSpeaker: Angelo Rivetti (Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare)
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15:45
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16:15
Coffee break 30m Canteen
Canteen
LNS
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16:15
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18:15
Cutting-edge technological developments in INFN and INAF Sala E.Migneco
Sala E.Migneco
LNS
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16:15
Technological Challenges and Cryogenic CMOS Electronics for Noble Liquid Detectors 40mSpeaker: Stefano Durando (Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare)
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16:55
Quantum Computing in Astrophysics 40mSpeaker: Farida Farsian
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17:35
Free Space Communication 40mSpeaker: Dr Stefano Bonora (CNR)
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16:15
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08:30
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10:30
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09:00
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09:40
Introduction to the Laboratories Sala E. Migneco
Sala E. Migneco
LNS
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09:00
Welcome at LNS 10mSpeaker: Santo Gammino (Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare)
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09:10
Introduction to the local facilities 30mSpeaker: Aurora Tumino (Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare)
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09:00
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09:40
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11:10
Computing Aula Round Table
Aula Round Table
LNS
Convener: Stefano Giagu (Sapienza Università di Roma and Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare)-
09:40
Artificial Intelligence: The AI_INFN initiative 45mSpeaker: Lucio Anderlini (Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare)
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10:25
Quantum Computing and Quantum Sensing 45mSpeaker: Simone Bordoni (Sapienza universita di Roma)
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09:40
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09:40
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11:10
Detectors, Lasers and Optics Sala E. Migneco
Sala E. Migneco
LNS
Conveners: Matteo Munari (INAF), Salvatore My (Università degli Studi di Bari and INFN)-
09:40
RD for Future Detectors 45mSpeaker: Federica Maria Simone (Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare)
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10:25
Techniques and technologies for radioastronomy 45mSpeaker: Francesco Cavallaro (INAF - OACT)
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09:40
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09:40
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11:10
Electronics and Electrotechnics Aula Azzurra
Aula Azzurra
LNS
Conveners: Angelo Rivetti (Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare), Antonio Palmieri (Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare), Mauro Migliorati (Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare)-
09:40
DONES: A European SRF high intensity Linac for fusion material test 30mSpeaker: Antonio Palmieri (Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare)
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10:10
Geopolitics of Microelectronics 1hSpeaker: Alessandro Paccagnella (PD)
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09:40
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09:40
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11:10
Mechanics Auletta A
Auletta A
LNS
Convener: Marco Riva (INAF)-
09:40
Mechanical Engineering: From Principles to Integrated Science Systems 30mSpeaker: Dr Carlo Zanoni (Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare)
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10:10
Additive Manufacturing technologies, applications and future perspectives 30mSpeaker: Prof. Antonio Grande (Politecnico di Milano)
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10:40
Advanced Mechanical Metrology 30mSpeaker: Edoardo Redaelli
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09:40
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11:10
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11:40
Coffee break 30m Canteen
Canteen
LNS
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11:40
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13:30
Computing Aula Round Table
Aula Round Table
LNS
Convener: Stefano Giagu (Sapienza Università di Roma and Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare)-
11:40
Students presentations and discussion 1h 50m
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11:40
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11:40
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13:30
Detectors, Lasers and Optics Sala E. Migneco
Sala E. Migneco
LNS
Conveners: Matteo Munari (INAF), Salvatore My (Università degli Studi di Bari and INFN)-
11:40
Students presentations and discussion 1h 50m
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11:40
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11:40
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13:30
Electronics and Electrotechnics Aula Azzurra
Aula Azzurra
LNS
Conveners: Angelo Rivetti (Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare), Antonio Palmieri (Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare), Mauro Migliorati (Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare)-
11:40
Students presentation and discussion 1h 50m
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11:40
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11:40
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13:30
Mechanics Auletta A
Auletta A
LNS
Convener: Marco Riva (INAF)-
11:40
Students presentations and discussion 1h 50m
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11:40
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13:30
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14:30
Lunch break 1h Canteen
Canteen
LNS
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14:30
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16:30
Visits
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16:30
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18:00
Coffee break and Poster Session event Canteen
Canteen
LNS
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18:00
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19:00
Scientific seminars Sala E. Migneco
Sala E. Migneco
LNS
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18:00
Achieving Sub-3% Energy Resolution in JUNO-TAO. From Cryogenic Innovation to Systematic Noise Mitigation 20mSpeaker: Ammad Ul Islam (Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare)
- 18:20
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18:40
Silicon pixel technologies for next generation experiments at colliders and beyond 20mSpeaker: Michele Verdoglia (Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare)
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18:00
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20:30
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23:00
Social dinner 2h 30m
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09:00
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09:40
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09:00
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12:30
Visits
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09:00
Catania INAF Observatory 3h 30m
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09:00
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12:30
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13:30
Lunch break 1h Canteen (LNGS)
Canteen
LNGS
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13:30
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14:30
Technology, society, industry Sala E. Migneco
Sala E. Migneco
LNS
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13:30
From fundamental research at INFN to Technology Transfer in neuroscience field. The experience of Dorian Technologies 30mSpeaker: Paolo Bosco (Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare)
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14:00
Technology transfer to medical applications at INFN 30mSpeaker: Giada Petringa (Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare)
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13:30
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14:30
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16:00
Outlook and closout Sala E. Migneco
Sala E. Migneco
LNS
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14:30
A glimpse into the future of particle physics: the FCC-ee project 30mSpeaker: Patrizia Azzi (Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare)
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15:00
Feedback from the participants - discussion 45m
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15:45
Closeout 15m Sala E. Migneco
Sala E. Migneco
LNS
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14:30
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09:00
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12:30