Workshop Program

Registration - Welcome Remarks

Theo J. Mertzimekis, Assoc. Professor

"The NuSTRAP group at NKUA: Overview of activities and work in RAMONES"

This introductory talk will provide a detailed overview of the NuSTRAP group activities at the Univ. of Athens, the main scientific directions and current work carried out at local facilities and abroad. Emphasis will be given on the recent work in the framework of the EU H2020 FET project "RAMONES", where the group has the role of the coordinator. Recent research and results will be presented and discussed, especially in terms of the directions promoting future innovative projects and collaborations in Environmental Intelligence.

Konstantinos Nikolopoulos, Professor

"Repository, Information System and Risk for socioeconomic stakeholders in RAMONES: functional requirements"

In this presentation we discuss the functional requirements of an innovative prototype Decision Support System that will inform key socio-political and socio-economic stakeholders, in real time, at lower frequency, however, than the primary underwater measurements, of imminent risks coming from radioactivity environments: from both natural (e.g. an underwater volcano or thermal activity) and anthropogenic (e.g. nuclear waste disposal, nuclear plant decommission, deep water drilling etc) sources. We will discuss two dominant scenarios prescribing how such a system might be beneficial to respective stakeholders.

Georgios Siltzovalis, PhD candidate

“Measuring environmental samples using an HPGe detector and characterization of a mobile gamma spectrometer for radioactivity monitoring in the marine environment”

A fully shielded HPGe spectroscopy station (TIGER) is used to measure radioactivity levels in environmental samples from various locations in Greece. The samples include soils from urban areas and sediments collected from marine environments posing a particular environmental interest. The TIGER spectrometer will be presented in some detail. In addition, the novel aspects of the marine gamma spectrometer built around a CZT crystal as part of the instruments to be developed in RAMONES, will be presented. Details of the design, optimization and full characterization of the detectors, which will equip the next generation of autonomous, long-term operating submarine robots (γ sniffers) will be presented. Special attention will be given on detailed Monte Carlo simulations for a plethora of scenarios in comparison with experimental measurements.

Varvara Lagaki, PostDoc

”Simulations of two different CdZnTe-based gamma-ray spectrometers”

Simulations based on Monte Carlo methods for two different gamma-ray spectrometers each using a dedicated CdZnTe crystal will be introduced. The simulations were conducted using two different Monte Carlo software toolkits, MNCP5 and Geant4, under various setup scenarios. In addition, field tests were carried out for the first time, deploying one of the two aforementioned sensors in a water tank, as well as in the marine environment under fully realistic conditions, which accompanied the respective simulations, will be reported. Finally, a comparison between the response of the two sensors will be presented.

Ioannis Madesis, PostDoc

“Development of αSpect: Radon isotope distinction in harsh, marine environments”

In this talk, the prototype αSpect spectrometer design will be presented. First, a brief overview of the expected measurements within the aquatic environment will be given. Following that, current alpha spectroscopy techniques are going to be discussed, along with the limitations that are introduced regarding water samples. The selected technique will be presented, along with the corresponding advantages. Finally, a list of modifications/design options, necessary for deep underwater operation, towards an innovative, state-of-the-art instrument, will be presented.

short coffee break

Vincent Breton, Research Director

"From sensor to cloud"

Connected objects bring an important contribution to the current explosion of environmental data. Since 2017, LPC has developed a set of innovative solutions that allow communicating nodes to transmit through an open and secured communication protocol (LoRa) data from all types of sensors to a cloud hosted by Clermont-Auvergne Mesocentre. Sensor networks are currently operational in a variety of ecosystems in Auvergne and on the Etna volcano in Sicily.

Sofia Kolovi, PhD candidate

"TIRAMISU: biodiversiTy in the RAdioactive Mineral Springs in AUvergne"

TIRAMISU collaboration gathers expertise from biologists, physicists, radiochemists and geologists within the Zone-Atelier Territoires Uranifères (ZATU) in France to analyze the response of microorganisms living in naturally radioactive mineral springs. These peculiar ecosystems in the volcanic region of Auvergne are monitored for their radiological content and microbial diversity. The radiation exposure of the biota is multiscale-modelled using the open-source Monte Carlo simulation tools GATE and Geant4-DNA, while assessments of the radioecological impact are performed using the ERICA tool. In the current talk, a brief overview of TIRAMISU and preliminary results from recent studies will be presented.

Patrick Chardon, Senior Researcher

"Zone Atelier Territoires Uranifères (ZATU): A place for interdisciplinary research on NOR (Natural Occurring Radioactivity) and TE (Technologically Enhanced) NOR"

Member of European and International Long Term Ecological Research infra structures, the French national network of zones Ateliers (RZA) labelled by CNRS develops a specific scientific approach based on observations and experiments on workshops sites, to conduct multidisciplinary research in the long term. It enables to survey the complex relationships between human activities and the functioning of ecosystems to be studied.

Labelled in January 2015, the ZATU focusses on the environment characterized by chronic radiation of natural or enhanced natural origin. A contaminated wetland downstream of a mine telling repository located in a small watershed and the presence of natural radioactive mineral sources nearby provide an ideal setting to conduct long-term radioecological research in (TE) NOR contaminated site. The multidisciplinary fundamental research builds upon multiple expertise (radiochemists, physicists, biologist, ecologists, geochemists and researchers in human and social sciences) supported by long-term observation through site instrumentation. Focused on adaptation and evolution of life in the presence of enhanced natural radioactivity, on transport and transfer of radionuclides in food webs and the perception of risk, the research program has for main aim to integrate the data into a dynamic Socio-Ecological System model to help decision makers and stakeholders for territorial management.

Lydia Maigne, Associate Professor

"GATE and Geant4-DNA ecosystems to simulate the production, the detection, and the effect of radiation"

GATE and Geant4-DNA Monte Carlo toolkits have been developed and widely used for investigating radiation processes in different applications: from the simulation of medical devices in imaging (SPECT, PET, CT) and radiotherapy to the study of biological effectiveness of radiation. Those platforms are also extensively used in environmental applications (space science and terrestrial natural radioactivity). We will illustrate some multi-scale simulations that are currently handled with GATE and Geant4-DNA and explain the next features to be developed to gather the best functionalities of both toolkits to propose an extended open-source toolkit to the community of users.

Light lunch + coffee + tour to the lab

Round table discussion