In the frame of the GEOCORE project, the drill core library of the Mining and Geological Survey of Hungary at Rákóczibánya (Nógrád county, Hungary) will be developed to a geological education and research centre. As a part of the project, a noble gas mass spectrometer developed for dating of rocks and minerals will be purchased and installed in the Instute for Nuclear Physics (MTA Atomki). The ARGUS VI is designed to measure small quantities of all isotopes of the argon noble gas, with high precision. Therefore, the new instrument will enable us to apply the K/Ar and ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar radiometric age dating methods. With respect to the 40 years age dating traditions at Atomki, our aim is the maintenance and further development of our outstanding geochronological activity in the Central-Eastern European region.

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 European Research Infrastructure for Heritage Science (E-RIHS) initiative combines laboratories and museums to create a unique pan-European research infrastructure in the field of the study of tangible cultural and natural heritage. Our goal is to become a node of this multidisciplinary, distributed research facility. The first pillar of the project is to establish an advanced analytical-imaging toolpark that provides information at various size scales on art objects and archaeological findings, without the need for sample preparation. Additionally, we increase the capacity of the AMS (Accelerator Mass Spectrometer) Laboratory to analyze archeological findings and extend the scope of such studies. The new graphitization unit allows for even more reproducible age determination, which can be extended with the carbonate handling option to examine cremation burials. The introduction of the measurement of stable isotopes in bones opens the way for studying past eating habits, too.

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.

Study of exotic nuclear phenomena at Atomki and ESFRI roadmap institutes

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 has installed the Tandetron accelerator in May 2014. The present setup includes a Duoplasmatron ionsource and a swithing magnet. These have been funded by the MTA through the Infrastruture grants.

The aim of the present project, and the expected result, the completion of the Tandetron Laboratory. It is anticipated to build a world class facility with broad range of methods and equipment that will be available for multiple users and will make the institute and its accelerators a centre of excellence. This laboratory is planned to be able to provide the users with outstanding opportunities for multiple research directions. We will offer such a technical level and work with such high stadard of researcher knowledge that guarantees our presence in the intenational infrastructure-networks and be able to participate is large collaborations.

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

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