an overview

The Enrico Fermi Historical Museum of Physics and Research Center (CREF) is a unique Italian research institution. Its mission is to combine cutting-edge scientific research with the promotion and dissemination of Italian physics history, with a special focus on the legacy of Enrico Fermi and his “Via Panisperna boys.” Its historical headquarters, a building on Via Panisperna in Rome, is where Fermi and his collaborators conducted groundbreaking experiments on neutron-induced radioactivity in the 1930s.

lines of research

CREF’s research is organized into four main strands, characterized by a multidisciplinary approach and a strong commitment to science communication:

• Complexity: This area is dedicated to studying complex systems in various fields, from economics to biology and social phenomena. Advanced techniques from statistical physics, complex systems theory, and artificial intelligence are used to analyze large datasets and develop theoretical models.

• Applied Physics: This field focuses on translating fundamental physics discoveries into technological innovation. Key sectors include medical physics (radio- and hadrontherapy, neuroscience, and quantitative neuroimaging for an aging population) and physics for cultural heritage (developing analytical methods for the study, conservation, and understanding of historical and artistic materials).

• Fundamental Physics: This explores innovative fields to broaden our understanding of the universe. It includes the development of photonic technologies and artificial intelligence for optical computing, cosmic ray research (including the EEE project in schools), the study of dark matter in galaxies and nuclear astrophysics, and investigating open problems in quantum mechanics.

• Museum: In addition to preserving and displaying the historical memory of Italian physics, the Enrico Fermi Museum is an active center for disseminating scientific culture. It organizes guided tours, educational workshops for students of all ages, and public events and collaborates with other museums and scientific institutions to make science accessible and engaging.

Laboratories and Collaborations

In the last year, a research laboratory in Computational Photonics was established at the center, linked to the “Photonic technologies and artificial intelligence” research area.

At the same time, a joint CREF – Sony CSL laboratory was launched at the CREF headquarters, focusing on the “Complexity and artificial intelligence for the challenges of the Sustainable Development Goals” research area.

There is also a Physics for Cultural Heritage laboratory with portable instruments for integrated analysis of X-ray fluorescence (ED-XRF), Raman spectroscopy, and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy in transmittance and absorbance.

Regarding the “Neuroscience and quantitative neuroimaging” project, collaboration continues with the IRCCS Santa Lucia of Rome, and the research group has secured several external grants. In addition, it has started a collaboration, based at CREF, with the Neuroscience group at the University of Pavia through a partnership request with the European flagship project “Human Brain Project (HBP).”

Last but not least, there is the laboratory for the institution’s historical project: Extreme Energy Events – Science in Schools (EEE), which houses a telescope capable of detecting and tracing cosmic rays that pass through it. The telescope is part of a network of 60 telescopes installed throughout Italy, most of which are in high schools. The laboratory is closely linked to all of the institution’s “third mission” activities.