The project titled “Next-Generation Radiation Detection with Nano-Patterned Gaseous Detectors (NPGD): Revolutionizing Gas-Filled Detectors with Nano-GEM and Nanotube Structures”, developed under the leadership of Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal University’s Nuclear Radiation Detectors Application and Research Center (NÜRDAM), has been awarded funding under TÜBİTAK’s 1001 – Scientific and Technological Research Projects Support Program.

NÜRDAM’s project represents a first in the scientific literature in terms of the development and characterization of nanotube-based micro-pattern gaseous detectors. Currently, gaseous radiation detectors, which are widely used in nuclear physics, high-energy physics, medical imaging, and industrial radiation measurements, have significant limitations due to their large size, high gas consumption, and environmental impact. The next-generation Nano-GEM detectors to be developed under the leadership of Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal University will be manufactured using Anodic Aluminum Oxide (AAO), Boron Nitride Nanotubes (BNNT), and polymer-based nanotubes (PVDF, PTFE, PMMA). Compared to conventional Gas Electron Multiplier (GEM) systems, these detectors will be much smaller in size, capable of operating with higher gain and sensitivity, and will significantly reduce gas consumption and costs while minimizing environmental impact. The international patent application (PCT) for this new technology was filed last year on behalf of our university.

The project will be carried out in collaboration with CERN’s DRD1 (Development of Gaseous Detectors Technologies) initiative. The prototypes to be developed will be tested at NÜRDAM and CERN laboratories using radiation sources of various activities and beamlines. Long-term stability measurements will be conducted, and performance evaluations will be carried out with different gas mixtures. The project concept was presented last year by CERN as an oral presentation at the MPGD24 conference held in China, where it received significant attention.

In this project, which will be led by NÜRDAM Director Dr. Yalçın Kalkan, our university’s faculty member Prof. Dr. Cabir Terzioğlu will also take part. At the end of the three-year project, compact, high-performance, domestically produced detectors will have been developed for use in fields such as nuclear medicine, space research, high-energy physics, and industrial radiation measurements. Project leader Dr. Yalçın Kalkan emphasized that the funding decision is an important step for Turkey to become a global player in advanced detector technologies, stating: “This project has the potential to create a paradigm shift in gaseous detector technologies worldwide. Through nano-engineering, we are both improving performance and reducing environmental impact. With CERN’s collaboration, we aim to validate this technology on an international scale and position Turkey at the forefront of detector technologies.”