ANNUAL REPORT name: Luca Menzio email: luca.menzio@unito.it ciclo: XXXV year completed (1,2 or 3): 1 supervisor: Marco Costa GRADUATE SCHOOL COURSES code: 10 title: Big Data Science and Machine Learning teacher: Legger hours: 16 code: 11 title: Introduction to Parallel Programming with MPI teacher: A. Mignone hours: 12 SUMMER SCHOOLS, INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS title: Giornate di Studio sui Rivelatori – Scuola F. Bonaudi place: Cogne, AO, Italy webpage: http://gsr.to.infn.it/ days: 5 talk or poster (Y/N): N CONFERENCES, WORKSHOP title: XIX Congresso Nazionale SIRR place: online webpage: http://www.sirr2.it/sirr2020/ days: 3 talk (Y/N): Y poster (Y/N): Y title: IAEA (Virtual event) International Conference on Radiation Safety: Improving Radiation Protection in Practice place: online webpage: https://www.iaea.org/events/international-conference-on-radiation-safety-2020 days: 11 talk (Y/N): Y poster (Y/N): N VISITS AND STAGES institution: ISIS Neutron and Muon Source place: Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell Oxford, Didcot OX11 0QX, United Kingdom starting date: 25/11/2019 days: 5 RESEARCH ACTIVITY/PUBLICATIONS IN THE CURRENT YEAR Publications: - Design of an ultra-sensitive single-moderator directional neutron spectrometer based on 3He detectors, R. Bedogni et al, NIM A (2020), 10.1016/j.nima.2020.164595 - The E LiBANS project: Thermal and epithermal neutron sources based on a medical Linac, V. Monti et al, ARI (2020), 10.1016/j.apradiso.2020.109363 - Development of gamma insensitive silicon carbide diagnostics to qualify intense thermal and epithermal neutron fields, O. Sans Planell et al, JINST (2020), 10.1088/1748-0221/15/06/C06021 Submitted, under review - A numerical model to predict pulse height distribution of alpha particles in thin ZnS(Ag) scintillators, R. Bedogni et al, to be submitted to NIM A Under internal review: - SICURA: a portable tool for radioactive and neutron sources detection, L. Menzio et al, to be submitted to JINST. In this year I participated to the ANET and SICURA projects under the supervision of Prof. M.Costa and Dr. R.Bedogni(LNF-INFN). Within the ANET project I participated to the construction of a new compact neutron collimator. I took part in the development of its fundamental elements and assembly and built a collimated neutron detector for its testing. Such measurements took place at INES (November 2019) and Pavia (January and October 2020) and I contributed to its data analysis. Finally, I participated to the characterization of a thermal neutron beam in Pavia. In the mainframe of the SICURA (SICUrezza RAdiologica) project I was responsible for the selection, test and simulation of the detectors with which the device is equipped. Given the requirements of the international standards and the obtained results the choice fell on a CsI:Tl scintillator with SiPM reading, a CZT semiconductor and a He-3 proportional counter. Moreover, I simulated the He-3 counter mounted on the SICURA tool and calibrated it in a reference thermal field (HOTNES) in Frascati, Italy. I participated to the development of the dedicated electronics provided by RTS Instruments Srl and tested it in operating conditions. In October 2020, the system was tested on-field at the experimental nuclear reactor in Pavia, Italy. I redacted the scientific reports required by the regional government on these matters.