The IPERION HS project contributes to establishing a unique pan-European infrastructure in heritage science by integrating facilities at research centres, universities and museums. The consortium of 24 partners from 23 countries (with Italy as project leader) offers access to instruments, methodologies and data for advancing knowledge and innovation in the interpretation, documentation, conservation and restoration of cultural heritage through three complementary platforms, ARCHLAB, MOLAB, and FIXLAB.

The Laboratory for Heritage Science of Atomki is part of FIXLAB, using ion beam analytical techniques at the Tandetron accelerator for determination of the concentration and distribution of elements in art and archaeological objects. Furthermore, the Laboratory participates in joint research activity, developing analytical monitoring strategies to prevent potential damage of the object during measurement under intense ion beams.

The aim of the project is to establish an internationally competitive AMS C-14 competence centre which is able to develop and market new and efficient sample preparation devices for the radiocarbon measurements and to provide high-level training regarding measurement technology.

Based on the scientific background and professional staff of Atomki, together with the equipment development and manufacturing experience of Isotoptech Zrt., a knowledge transfer centre promptly adapting to the worldwide rapidly expanding AMS C-14 analytical demands is going to be established, which is able to serve the recent research approaches and the demands of the market.

Recent technological advances have made it possible to apply quantum information science for a wide range of information tasks. We are witnessing a new quantum revolution that would guarantee communication security and provide outstanding computing power. However, it also sets great challenges regarding the certification task that the new quantum devices and protocols operate according to specification. Indeed, given a quantum device, how could the user of this device make sure that it performs a certain computational problem properly? This quantum certification task stands out as a key aspect in the EU Quantum Technologies Program as well. The aim of the project is to establish a new research line in the certification of complex quantum systems using large-scale tools, crucial for future device-independent quantum technologies.

The European Research Infrastructure for Heritage Science (E-RIHS) will support research on heritage interpretation, preservation, documentation and management. It will comprise E-RIHS Headquarters and National Hubs, fixed and mobile national infrastructures of recognized excellence, physically accessible archives and virtually accessible data bases. Both cultural and natural heritage will be addressed: collections, buildings, and archaeological sites, digital and intangible heritage. E-RIHS is currently in the Preparatory Phase which will be used to address legal status and governance / management organization. The establishment of a legal structure and governance and the refinement of the business plan for long-term sustainability will be the three most important deliverables, together with demonstrations of user access as implemented by the consortium availing of the existing infrastructure projects.

The scope of the project is the development of Materials Research Laboratory of Atomki into a higher research level. The realization of the project takes place in the form of a consortium with the University of Debrecen. The leader of the consortium is the University of Debrecen. In the frame of the project an improvement of the technical level of the Laboratory and a research program will be carried out. New scientific instruments will be installed in the Laboratory: X-Ray Diffractometer (XRD) and an electron microscope equipped with a focused ion beam source. The main research areas of the project are: study of interactions between an optical sensitive material and light (or ions and electrons); study of surface atomic layers prepared in ultrahigh vacuum; preparation of 1D objects and 2D atomic layers; study of ion-surface interactions and ion beam surface modification; surface functionalization of silica aerogels and investigation of their fracture mechanism.

In the frame of this project, research infrastructure units of MTA Atomki are set into a control software framework thus establishing a remotely controllable virtual laboratory. The aim of the system integration is to create a complex infrastructure suitable to make radiobiological and radiation hardening measurements. The subsystems involved in the integration: cyclotron accelerator, neutron source, vertical beam-end for isotope production, tandetron accelerator, Van de Graaff accelerator, Co-60 source, MiniPET-3 small animal Positron Emission Tomograph, radiochemical laboratory, ESCA (Electron Spectrometer for Chemical Applications), MGGL (Matra Gravitational and Geophysical Laboratory).

Leader of consortium:

• Evopro Systems Engineering Kft (support: 398.725.723 Ft, 57%)

Members of consortium:

• MTA Atomki (support: 185.500.010 Ft, 100%)
• MTA Biological Research Centre (support: 145.561.008 Ft, 100%)
• University of Szeged (support: 239.834.823 Ft, 100%)

The aim of this project is to investigate the geo-, hydro- and biosphere of the past and present using isotope geochemical tools in climatology. These techniques are essential to understand the extent and impacts of past and present climate changes. The research direction of the newly-established Isotope Climatology and Environmental Research Centre covers many fields of science; the broad spectrum of state-of-the-art scientific research methodology will include physics, geology, geochemistry, hydrology, atmosphere and climate studies. The project aims to develop and/or phase in new isotopic geochemical methods in our country and in the region. A world-class isotopic climate research centre and knowledgebase will be created as part of the systematic research program in Hungary.

The research project is implemented in the MTA Atomki in Debrecen in close scientific cooperation with local and foreign researchers building on existing infrastructure and methods.

MTA Atomki is an in-kind contributor of the European Spallation Source (ESS) in its construction phase. The objective of the project is development, production and commissioning of the radiofrequency local protection system of the linear accelerator. With this research and development (R&D) project, Hungary - as a founding member of ESS ERIC consortium - can partly replace its cash payment.

The H2020 IPERION CH project aims to establish a unique pan-European infrastructure in Heritage Science by integrating facilities at research centres, universities and museums. The consortium offers access to instruments, methodologies and data for advancing knowledge and innovation in the conservation and restoration of cultural heritage through three complementary platforms, ARCHLAB, MOLAB, FIXLAB. Calls are published twice a year.

FIXLAB B1: MTA Atomki – Laboratory of Ion Beam Applications

Through determining the concentration and distribution of elements, ion beam analytical techniques can give information on provenance, authenticity, production technology, and degradation due to environmental effects of art and archaeological objects. They also contribute to the elaboration of conservation technologies. Besides in-vacuum measurements with high lateral resolution, an external micro-beam set-up is also available for artefacts of bigger sizes or sensitive nature.

Next deadline: 28 February 2018

Application form

In the frame of this project, MTA Atomki improves PET (Positron Emission Tomography) methods for medical and research purpose, based on the self-developed small animal PET camera.

Tasks:

• Data aquisition protocols for cell culture and plant labelling, for functional food studies, for various samples and for small animal studies with the small animal PET camera.
• Synthesis protocols for compounds labelled with C-11 and F-18 positron emitter radioisotopes.
• Cell cultures and functional food studies using radioactive isotopes.
• Application of physics, nuclear physics and biophysics in the development of modern biotechnological methods.
• Modelling of vascular system with flow network, studies of cell protein synthesis using Boolean network model.
• Test measurements with the small animal PET camera and Monte-Carlo simulation.