GRAIL (Gamma Radiation from the Atmosphere for Investigation and Learning)

Thunderstorms emit radiation across a spectrum from visible light to X- and gamma rays which are the most energetic natural processes on Earth, with energies beyond those of radioactive decay chains as they appear in nuclear power plants. Originally, these emissions have been considered rare for decades. However, recent measurements have shown that high-energy emission is indeed common and much more complex and inter-related than previously thought. Despite their common nature, we are lacking fundamental knowledge about their generation and about their effects on humans, technology and the environment. The goal of this Horizon Europe MSCA Doctoral Network is to gain a deeper understanding of high-energy emissions from thunderclouds, their relation to lightning and their effects.

Observations, simulations and experiments

The study of high-energy phenomena is approached within the GRAIL project with a coordinated program of research that includes observations, laboratory experiments, numerical simulations and detector development – mostly from a geophysical perspective, but with strong interfaces to technology and relevant industries. The GRAIL consortium integrates leading methodology and techniques from different disciplines to investigate high-energy atmospheric electricity.

GRAIL is an educational platform within a dynamic and multidisciplinary scientific network of scientists from all over Europe and the US (see here for a list of all participating insititutes). Europe-wide, there will be 15 PhD projects studying the energetic radiation emitted from thunderstorms through observations, modelling and experiments. Additionally, we will develop new detectors suitable for future missions detecting such radiation in-situ or from space. Thus, GRAIL combines innovative research and technological aspects providing a training environment for doctoral candidates in high-energy atmospheric electricity.

For better coordination the GRAIL network consists of different boards and committees:

• Supervisory Board: Representatives from each of the 17 consortium members + three Doctoral Candidate (DC) representatives

• External Advisory Board:
  • Prof. Joseph Dwyer, University of New Hampshire
  • Dr. Yuuki Wada, Osaka University
  • Dr. Melody Pallu, Astroparticle and Cosmology Laboratory, at Paris Cite University
  • Ms. Chiara Lombardi, European Space Agency (ESA)

Winter and summer schools

The GRAIL training platform includes five Summer/Winter schools that teach all DCs the core scientific topics, methods and techniques covered by the GRAIL research plan (e.g. basic knowledge in atmospheric electricity, laboratory experiments, observations, numerical simulations, technological development). The schools include workshops dedicated to Machine Learning and AI, Career planning, the Individual Research Projects (IRPs), and to industry and innovation. The schools will foster a strong interaction of the interrelated IRPs, needed to maintain the progression of the overall GRAIL project. The schools will be open to external participants and are an international platform for collaboration across borders and cultures. The training will be accompanied by Online Seminars.

The planned schools are

• Winter School 1, Technical University of Dortmund (TUDO), approx. February 2027
• Summer School 1, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), approx. July 2027
• Winter School 2, University in Bergen (UiB), approx. February 2028
• School School 2, Polytechnical University of Catalonia (UPC), approx. July 2028
• Winter School 3, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), approx. February 2029