Measurements of neutron-induced reaction cross-section of interest for nuclear astrophysics and emerging nuclear technologies at the neutron-time-of-flight facility n_TOF at CERN (Switzerland) and GELINA at the EC-JRC-IRMM laboratory (Belgium).

The research activity aims at addressing some specific problems around a more general question in nuclear astrophysics: how the elements are synthesized in the universe. Although the most important sites of element formation and the nuclear processes involved have been identified, important details are still largely unexplained, thus hindering a comprehensive understanding of the nucleosynthesis processes.

The opportunity to address some of these long-standing questions is offered by the availability of powerful neutron time-of-flight facilities, in combination with innovative detectors. The same results are beneficial for basic nuclear physics and emerging nuclear technologies: studies of how to incinerate radioactive nuclear waste and Generation IV reactors.

The research activities concentrate on: R&D of innovative detectors; measurements of selected (n, g), (n, p), (n, a) and (n,f) reactions; data analysis and dissemination of the results.