Check out some of our awesome projects with creative ideas.
Filter:
Crystal Eye
Crystal Eye is a new generation all sky monitor for the observation of 10keV-30MeV cosmic photons exploiting a new detection technique, which foresees enhanced localization capability with respect to current instruments. This is now possible thanks to the use of new materials and sensors.
SuperMuSR
As part of the Super-MuSR upgrade at the ISIS Muon Pulsed Facility, Nuclear Instruments developed advanced front-end electronics, including custom sensors and preamplifiers, and integrated our DAQ-121 digitizer—an 8-channel, 1 Gsps, 12-bit simultaneous sampling system—enhancing time resolution and data throughput for next-generation muon spectroscopy.
ASTRI
ASTRI Mini-Array is an INAF project to build a network of nine dual-mirror Cherenkov telescopes for gamma-ray astronomy. Located at 2400 m altitude in Tenerife, it will detect high-energy photons (1–300 TeV) from cosmic sources and enable precision measurements in stellar interferometry and cosmic ray physics.
Building a Large-Scale Educational Cloud Chamber to Observe Radiation with the Naked Eye
We’ve developed a large-scale educational cloud chamber (20×15×10 cm) that visually reveals natural radiation in real-time. Using four double-stage Peltier cells, the system cools the alcohol-air mixture down to -35 °C, creating the conditions needed to observe particle tracks with the naked eye. One of the largest of its kind worldwide. We built it to display in the Young Exhibition at Lariofiere, Italy, where it will be used to teach students about radiation and particle physics.
FAMU Experiment @ RIKEN RAL
The FAMU experiment at the RIKEN-RAL muon facility aims to precisely measure the proton Zemach radius through detection of characteristic X-rays from muonic hydrogen. Nuclear Instruments developed custom electronics for the LaBr₃:Ce detectors, including innovative preamplifier circuits and a unique “4-1” SiPM readout architecture. These improvements significantly enhanced time resolution—critical for separating prompt and delayed signals—while maintaining excellent energy resolution in the 100–130 keV range.
R5560 Readout System for ESS-LoKI SANS
LoKI is a SANS instrument that will enable scientists to answer the challenging materials science questions of tomorrow in fields from health and aging, to sustainability and energy security. One of the first instrument concepts to be proposed and moved into construction, LoKI will be part of the early science programme at ESS.
Pignoletto
Pignoletto aims to create a multiscale analysis system of the characteristics of the soils and the environment, based on the combination of geophysical field measurements with measurements obtained from airborne sensors, satellite information and proximity surveys.
GEM Detector Readout System for Transmission Measurements on the Vesuvio Instrument at ISIS
Nuclear Instruments designed the readout system for a novel 2D detector used for neutron transmission measurements on the VESUVIO experiment at the ISIS Facility (UK). The detector is based on a thick GEM and features 384 readout pads (channels). The readout architecture consists of a series of distributed boards, each equipped with a Kintex-7 FPGA implementing 64 TDCs with a resolution of 0.5 ns, double-hit resolution of 4 ns, and 64-bit timestamping. Each FPGA interfaces with four GEMINI ASICs, which provide the analog front-end processing.
Compact SiPM Detector upgrade for DIII-D
In collaboration with the Department of Physics at the University of Milano-Bicocca and the Institute for Plasma Science and Technology (CNR), Nuclear Instruments developed the electronics for a compact spectrometer optimized for the detection of hard X-rays generated by runaway electrons. Designed for integration with the Gamma-Ray Imager diagnostic on the DIII-D tokamak, the spectrometer features a high dynamic range (above 10 MeV), fast timing (≈70 ns FWHM), and real-time gain monitoring via an embedded LED. Stable performance under high counting rates (>1 MCps) makes this instrument well-suited for advanced plasma diagnostics.