My research group focus on experimental Nuclear Physics at a fundamental level and Nuclear Physics applications and technology.
At the Department of Physics of NKUA, we have a multi-faceted research program involving nuclear structure investigations at large nuclear infrastructures (ISOLDE@CERN, GSI/FAIR and GANIL/SPIRAL2) and European Centers of Excellence (IFIN-HH, JYFL). We perform experiments using state-of-the-art equipment jointly with international colleagues. What triggers our interest is the electromagnetic properties of nuclear isotopes, in particular those residing near the extremes of the nuclear chart. The advent of radioactive beams in the last 20 years has tremendously widened the horizons of nuclear physics, revealing new physics at the edges, offering alluring opportunities to understand the basic constituents of the atomic nuclei and their fundamental interactions.
In recent year, the NuSTRAP group has invested serious effort to carry out experimental studies of the nuclear shapes, deformations and magnetism over a large range of the nuclear chart. We investigate shape coexistence in atomic nuclei, an intriguing phenomenon arising from a non-conventional expression of nuclear dynamics. The effects are imprinted on the nuclear observables we study via radiation spectroscopies, employing large gamma-detector arrays and ancillary equipment. Lifetimes and magnetic dipole moments are particularly useful to extract the physics shaped by the competition of the strong nuclear force and the electromagnetic (Coulomb) repulsion among the building blocks of nuclear matter.
In addition to fundamental studies, we are also interested in exploring various applications of Nuclear Physics: nuclear astrophysics, radiation physics, detector technology and AI-based control systems. We have recently focused our attention to using marine radioactivity as the means to understand processes and phenomena puzzling other disciplines: hydrothermal vent dynamics, marine seismic activities and more. In partnership with fellow scientists from the fields of geosciences, marine robotics, marine engineering, artificial intelligence, and risk analysis & forecasting, we have built a network to develop novel technologies and beyond-the-state-of-the art radiation-sensing instruments for a range of applications in the global ecosystem. See our EU H2020 FET project “RAMONES” on how we aim to bring innovation and game-changing practices to the field.
At home we have recently upgraded our local Laboratory of Radiation Applications & Technologies (labRAT) to offer support to the environmental radioactivity studies program and also to our colleagues and collaborators with high-end spectroscopy stations.