Research

ORCID ID: 0000-0003-2042-3759

I started my scientific work in Experimental Particle Physics in 1996, with the participation in the DELPHI experiment, one of the four detectors installed in the LEP accelerator at CERN, on which my PhD Thesis Test of QED in Multiphotonic final states at LEP 2 (IST, April 2002) was centered.

After 2002, my research interests have been consolidated in the area of Astroparticle Physics, with the participation in the AMS experiment between 2002 and 2005 as a post-doc, and in the Pierre Auger Observatory Collaboration since 2006.

In the last 17 years I have contributed to the creation and development of a Research Group at LIP centred in the application of experimental particle physics instruments and methods to the field of Space Radiation Environment and Effects.

Teaching

Physics Department &
Nuclear Sciences and Engineering Department
Instituto Superior Técnico
Universidade de Lisboa

I am an Associate Professor at the Department of Physics and at the Department of engineering and Nuclear Sciences of Instituto Superior Técnico

I am responsible for 2nd cycle courses on Radiation Physics and Nuclear and Particle Physics Tecnologies that are part of the curricula of the Master Degrees on Biomedical Engineering, Radiological Protection and Safety and Engineering Physics, and for the course on Design and Simulation of Radiation Detectors for the doctoral Programme in Physics.









Space Radiation Environment and Effects

Study and simulation of the radiation environment in the heliosphere: radiation monitoring and effects on EEE components

I have been the Coordinator of Space Radiation Environment and Effects activities at LIP since 2006, which resulted in the creation of the SpaceRad Research Group.

Space exploration is one of the applications of particle physics technologies, particularly in what concerns radiation detection instrumentation and the modelling of complex interaction of radiation with matter processes. The competences developed at LIP in this field include all the technologies identified on ESA's roadmap for this domain: radiation environment measurement technologies; radiation environment modelling; radiation effects analysis tools; test characterization and Radiation Hardness Assurance (RHA) of EEE components.

In the past years various activities were developed, mainly in the framework of contracts with ESA, involving different institutions both in academia and in national industry, and LIP is today an international reference in the Geant4 simulation of Space radiation monitors and also in the modelling of the radiation environment in Mars. The LIP SpaceRad group integrates senior researchers, PhD and Master students and is currently involved in different projects, mostly though contracts with the European Space Agency (ESA).


Projects


Project Coordination - Contract manager at LIP
  • ECO-60 Verification of Co-60 testing representativeness for EEE components flown in the Jupiter electron environment (2014-2018) contract ESA 3-13975/13/NL/PA

  • CODES IV CODES Framework Implementation (2013-2016) contract ESA 22381/09/NL/PA

Project Coordination - Subcontract manager at LIP