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DOE/INFN Summer Exchange Program for 2026
2026 Edition
INFN Gran Sasso National Laboratory site
The US Department of Energy (DoE) and the National Institute for Nuclear Physics - Italy (INFN) announce the 2026 Summer Exchange Program edition, addressed to US and Italian students in science and engineering.
Students are given a chance to join projects that will deepen their experience in the fields of science and technology which are relevant for their academic training.
The Gran Sasso National Laboratory (LNGS ) is one of the four INFN National laboratories. It is the largest underground laboratory in the world for experiments in particle physics and nuclear astrophysics.
In particular, the LUNA Experiment at LNGS has expressed an interest in the INFN-DoE Program.
For this edition, in fact, TWO positions for the LUNA Experiment are available as reported below:
Title: Direct measurement of the 12C+12C fusion cross section inside the LNGS underground laboratory.
Description: Fusion reactions are essential for understanding energy production, nucleosynthesis, and the evolution of massive stars. 12C+12C fusion is the primary process driving carbon burning in the late stages of stellar evolution, influencing the formation of heavier elements and the fate of these stars. The LUNA (Laboratory for Underground Nuclear Astrophysics) collaboration aims to study the 12C+12C fusion via photon detection at the new “Bellotti” Ion Beam Facility, located inside the LNGS (Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso) underground laboratory in Italy.
Activities: This internship is intended to introduce the successful applicant to Nuclear Astrophysics, including both the theoretical background and the experimental techniques needed to perform cutting-edge research in this field, with particular attention to High Purity Germanium (HPGe) and segmented Sodium Iodide (NaI) detectors. The student will be involved in the real experiment and will contribute to the implementation and the use of advanced analysis techniques to determine the reaction cross section.
Tutor: Federico Ferraro (Questo indirizzo email è protetto dagli spambots. È necessario abilitare JavaScript per vederlo.)
Activity periods:
- 1 position is intended in June-July 2026 for a 2-month activity period (about 9 weeks).
- 1 position is intended in September-October 2026 for a 2-month activity period (about 9 weeks).
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Local contacts:
LNGS UserOffice: Vincenzo Fantozzi and Serena Cavalcante (Questo indirizzo email è protetto dagli spambots. È necessario abilitare JavaScript per vederlo.)
Local LNGS site: https://www.lngs.infn.it/en
For further info and to submit applications, please keep checking the INFN site:
https://reclutamento.dsi.infn.it/#!bandi/BORSE
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Additional info about LNGS: