Events

Seminar Details

Date: 17 June 2026, 15:00
Location: Building D3, room 1.11
Speaker: Dr. Wojciech Hajdas

You can also join online via MS Teams

 

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Abstract

Family of ESA Radiation Monitors for Space Weather Observations – Implementation, Performance, and Prospects

The seminar will focus on the development and evolution of ESA radiation monitors used for space weather observations and radiation environment measurements in space missions.

The loss of the PRARE instrument onboard the ERS-1 satellite while flying over the South Atlantic Anomaly highlighted the serious risks posed by space radiation and led to the implementation of the first ESA Radiation Environment Monitor (REM). Since then, numerous radiation monitoring systems have been developed and deployed on satellites operated by major space agencies worldwide.

During the seminar, Dr. Wojciech Hajdas will discuss the implementation, capabilities, and in-orbit performance of ESA-developed radiation monitors, as well as emerging technologies for space radiation detection. The presentation will also address the role of radiation monitoring in future space exploration missions, component qualification, and space weather research.

 

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About the Speaker

Dr. Wojciech Hajdas graduated from the Jagiellonian University in Kraków with a specialization in nuclear physics and obtained his PhD at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zürich (ETHZ).

He is currently affiliated with the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) in Switzerland, where he works within the Laboratory for Particle Physics (LTP) and the Detectors, Irradiations, and Applied Particle Physics group (DIAPP). His work focuses on radiation detection technologies, particle exposure facilities for component testing, and space radiation monitoring systems.

In collaboration with ESA, industry, and academic institutions, Dr. Hajdas develops advanced detection technologies for space particle environments and X-ray measurements, including projects such as NGRM, RADEM, HIT/HEPS, AMORE, and POLAR. He is also actively involved in radiation effects research and international initiatives including RADNEXT and RADNEXT 2030.

Dr. Hajdas is the author and co-author of approximately 170 peer-reviewed scientific publications and two books related to space and solar astrophysics.