Research Activities

My research interests include particle & astroparticle physics and particle & radiation detector development. I am co-author of a series of journal and conference publications in the above fields, followed by a series of notes targeting on the teaching of these fields to my students. Analytically my research fields are the following:

  1. Positron Annihilation Physics
    Positron annihilation spectroscopy and techniques: positron lifetime spectroscopy, Doppler broadening technique, 3-gamma positron annihilation. Study of structural defects in metal, amorphous alloys, semiconductors and superconductors.

  2. CPLEAR Experiment
    Joined the CPLEAR collaboration in 1991 as member of the group of Thessaloniki working on the Particle Identification Detector consisting of 32 sectors of two scintillator layers (providing energy loss and time of flight) and a threshold Cerenkov. CPLEAR was searching the CP, T and CPT violation parameters by studying the properties of time evolution

  3. ATLAS Experiment (CERN-LHC)
    Joined to the ATLAS collaboration from its initial phase (ATLAS Muon Spectrometer – Technical Design Report, ATLAS collaboration, 1997). Construction of 112 BIS monitored drift-tube chambers (MDT) for the ATLAS muon spectrometer, and quality assurance – quality control. The chambers have been constructed at the University of Thessaloniki during a period of five years. They consist of drift tubes that were assembled at the University of Athens and tested at the National Technical University of Athens.

  4. CAST Experiment
    Joined to the CAST experiment (CERN Solar Axion Telescope) from its initial phase i.e. the conceptual design of the axion telescope, the calculations of its sensitivity, the detector background estimates, e.t.c., which are all described in detail in the NIM paper of 1999 (paper number 43 in the publication list) as well as the proposal to the SPSC in the same year. CAST uses a LHC prototype magnet with a field of B = 9.0 T in the interior of two parallel pipes of length L = 9.26 m. The magnet is mounted on a moving platform with low-background x-ray detectors on either end, allowing it to track the Sun. Participation in the preparation of the experiment, data taking, upgrading, tests, calibrations e.t.c. Run coordinator in the last period of data taking.

  5. Searches for dark matter particles
    Indirect dark matter particles detection using novel techniques, i.e. Thermo-Luminescence and Optically Stimulated Luminescence. Searches for solar axions and for axion sources other than the Sun (e.g. Earth). Searches for dark matter particles characteristics i.e. bounds on their lifetime.

  6. CTA - Cherenkov Telescope Array
    Participation in the CTA project for the detection of high energy cosmic gamma rays

  7. ASTRONEU – detection of cosmic neutrinos
    Participation in the “ASTRONEU” project for the detection of high energy cosmic neutrinos