16.07.2018 change 16.07.2018

Physicists from the University of Lodz are working on safe energy at CERN

Photo: Fotolia Photo: Fotolia

Physicists from the University of Lodz are the only team from Poland that participates in an international n_TOF research project at CERN. The objective of the project is to develop a safer way to produce nuclear energy, says the university spokesperson Paweł Śpiechowicz.

According to Śpiechowicz, scientists want to find out how heavy elements can form as quickly as it happens during star formation. This is of great importance for many nuclear physics research projects.

"First of all, the idea is to understand how the matter that surrounds us was formed, including the elements that we are built from. Possible success could also be extremely helpful in developing a safer method of producing nuclear energy and developing more durable structural materials" - reads the university release.

Researchers from the Department of Nuclear Physics and Radiation Safety of the University of Lodz carry out observations using the n_TOF device, which is located at CERN near Geneva. It allows to accurately observe the behaviour of neutrons, particles that occur in the atomic nucleus. An important part of the device is a lead block surrounded by a layer of water. The n_TOF machine is the only such device in the world.

The n_TOF cooperation brings together about 150 researchers from 43 scientific institutes and universities. "Since the device was launched in 2001, a lot of research has been carried out, most of the results have already been published and made available to databases. The three-person group of nuclear physicists from the University of Lodz is the only Polish team participating in this project" - reads the press release.

More about the research conducted by scientists from the University of Lodz can be found on the website.

The research of physicists from Łódź is financed with the National Science Centre HARMONIA grant. HARMONIA is a competition for international research projects carried out, for example, as part of international cooperation established directly with a partner or partners from foreign scientific institutions. In the 8th edition of this competition, the University of Lodz received over 2.5 million zlotys from the National Science Centre. The team led by Prof. Józef Andrzejewski, head of the Department of Nuclear Physics and Radiation Safety at the University of Lodz, received nearly 400,000 zlotys from that pool.

PAP - Science in Poland

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