Behind our EUROPA project is a dedicated network of 12 European partners collaborating to revolutionize medical radioisotope production for cancer treatment. Over the next few months, we are shining a light on the institutions, researchers, and innovators driving our mission.
The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) is a key player in research, development and innovation in four main areas: defence and security, low carbon energies (nuclear and renewable energies), technological research for industry, fundamental research in the physical sciences and life sciences. Their DAM Division (Direction des Applications Militaires) has developed extensive expertise in the physics of laser-plasma interactions through its simulation programme, combining both experimental and numerical approaches. The EUROPA project leverages this knowledge to optimize laser-plasma particle acceleration for radioisotope production.
Particle-in-Cell (PIC) and hydrodynamic simulations are used to predict and/or interpret experimental outcomes. These experiments also benefit from the rich environment surrounding the high-power lasers of the world-class PETAL-LMJ facility. Furthermore, DAM is a global reference in instrumentation for extreme environments. Diagnostics for laser-accelerated particles developed within the project draws on this expertise as well as on various experimental facilities for testing and calibration, including X-ray generators and light ion and electron accelerators.
