kmergia

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Director of Research

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+30 210 6503706

Dr K. Mergia is responsible for the Fusion Technology Programme of NCSRD and coordinator of the related activities of fifteen (15) researchers. She is supervisor of four PhD theses in the field of Fusion Materials. Member of the Fusion for Energy (F4E) governing board. Greek representative in the European Neutron Scattering Association, evaluator of the RADIATE project (access to ion beam centers), member of the editorial board of the Hellenic Neutron Association (HENA) newsletter.

Her research topics refer to fusion materials research, radiation damage, plasma facing materials and components, phase transformations and transport phenomena, ceramic-metal interactions, surface oxidization phenomena, material engineering (porosity, internal stresses, oxidation barriers, materials joining) and magnetic materials (FeCr alloys and steels, magnetic thin films, spin-glasses).

She has been scientific responsible and work-package leader for several European and IAEA projects and tasks of the European Fusion Programme. The total funding obtained for these projects was 4.5 M€ (2003-2020). Research areas of these projects are on fusion materials, materials for extreme environments and aerospace materials and components.

She has authored more than 80 publications in peer reviewed journals, more than 100 publications in conference proceedings and more than 100 scientific reports. She is acting as a referee in 12 journals. She has strong collaborative links with many eminent European Research Centres and Universities such as Rutherford Appleton Laboratories, UK, SCK CEN, Belgium, Culham Centre for Fusion Energy, UKAEA, UK, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Germany, TECNALIA Research and Innovation, Spain, Technical University of Turin, Italy, Polish Academy of Science, Institute of Physics, Poland.  These collaborative links have been materialized through common publications and research projects.

She has developed extensive laboratory facilities in the areas of a) structural characterization of materials from nano- to macro-scale (X-Ray diffractometer, X-Ray reflectometer, field emission scanning electron microscope with energy dispersive spectrometer, X-Ray fluorescence spectrometer), b) mechanical properties (nano- and micro-depth sensing indenters, universal testing machine, impulse excitation apparatus), c) defects in materials (positron annihilation lifetime spectrometer), d) electrical properties of materials (electrical apparatus), e) sample fabrication and processing (magnetron sputtering apparatus, high temperature systems), and f) metallography (optical microscopes, polishers, electropolisher).

 

Publications

2019

M.I. Savva, T. Vasilopoulou, C.R. Nobs, P. Batistoni, B. Colling, Z. Ghani, M. Gilbert, S. Loreti, K. Mergia, S. Messoloras, I. Michelakaki, L.W. Packer, M. Pillon, I.E. Stamatelatos, K. Triantou. (2019). VERDI detector benchmark experiment at the ENEA 14 MeV Frascati Neutron Generator, Fusion Engineering and Design 146, Part B, 1877-1881, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fusengdes.2019.03.055

2018

E. Padovano, C. Badini, K. Mergia and J. Barcena. (2018). "Thermophysical and radiative properties of pressureless sintered SiC and ZrB2-SiC laminates" Ceramics International 44,15050-15057   https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ceramint.2018.05.135

2017

Jorge Barcena, Kostoula Triantou, Konstantina Mergia, Beatriz Perez, Sonia Florez, Iñaki Garmendia, Gregory Pinaud, Jean-Marc Bouilly and Wolfgang P.P. Fischer, “Infra-Red and vibration tests of hybrid ablative/ceramic matrix technological breadboards for earth re-entry thermal protection systems”, Acta Astronautica 134 (2017) 85-97
Krimpalis, Spyros; Mergia, K; Messoloras, S; Dubinko, Andrii; Terentyev, Dmitry; Triantou, Kostoula; Reiser, Jens; Pintsuk, G "Comparative Study of the Mechanical Properties of Different Tungsten Materials for Fusion Applications", Phys. Scr. T170, 014068. https://doi.org/10.1088/1402-4896/aa9292
Tsavalas, P., Lagoyannis, A., Mergia, K., Rubel, M., Triantou, K., Harissopulos, S., … Contributors, J. (2017). Be ITER-like wall at the JET tokamak under plasma. Physica Scripta, 2017(T170), 014049. doi:10.1088/1402-4896/aa8ff4
K. Triantou, B. Perez, A. Marinou, S. Florez, K. Mergia, G. Vekinis, J. Barcena, W. Rotärmel, C. Zuber, À. de Montbrun. (2017). “Performance of cork and ceramic matrix composite joints for re-entry thermal protection structures”, Composites Part B 108, 270-278.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesb.2016.09.104
A. Lagoyannis, P. Tsavalas, K. Mergia, G. Provatas, K. Triantou, E. Tsompopoulou, P. Petersson, M. Rubel, A. Widdowson, S. Harissopulos, T.J. Mertzimekis, and the JET contributors. (2017). “Surface composition and structure of divertor tiles following the JET tokamak operation with the ITER-like wall”, Nuclear Fusion  57, 076027. https://doi.org/10.1088/1741-4326/aa6ec1
K. I. Triantou, K. Mergia, B. Perez, S. Florez, A. Stefan, C. Ban, G. Pelin, G. Ionescu, C. Zuber, W.P.P. Fischer and J. Barcena. (2017). “Thermal shock performance of carbon-bonded carbon fiber composite and ceramic matrix composite joints for thermal protection re-entry applications”, Composites Part B 111, 270-278. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesb.2016.12.020

2016

C. Jimenez, K. Mergia, M. Lagos, P. Yialouris, I. Agote, V. Liedtke, E.  Padovano, C. Badini, C. Wilhelmi, S. Messoloras, J. Barcena. (2016). “Joining of ceramic matrix composites to high and ultra high temperature ceramics for thermal protection systems”, Journal of the European Ceramic Society 36, 443-449. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jeurceramsoc.2015.09.038
A. Kaidatzis, V. Psycharis, K. Mergia and D. Niarchos. (2016). “Annealing effects on the structural and electrical properties of sputtered tungsten thin films”, Thin Soild Films 619, 61-67. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tsf.2016.10.027
Apostolopoulos, George & Lukianova, V & Kotsina, Z & Lagoyannis, Anastasios & Mergia, Konstantina & Harissopulos, Sotirios & Messoloras, Spyros. (2016). The influence of carbon on the resistivity recovery of proton irradiated Fe-11 at.% Cr alloys. Nuclear Materials and Energy. doi:10.1016/j.nme.2016.09.007 [Accepted manuscript]
Papamihail, K., Mergia, K., Ott, F., Serruys, Y., Speliotis, T., Apostolopoulos, G., & Messoloras, S. (2016). Fe+ ion irradiation induced changes in structural and magnetic properties of iron films. Nuclear Materials and Energy, 9, 459–464. doi: 10.1016/j.nme.2016.03.006
K. Papamihail, K. Mergia, F. Ott, Yves Serruys, Th. Speliotis, G. Apostolopoulos and S. Messoloras. (2016). “Magnetic effects of self ion irradiation of Fe films”, Phys. Rev. B 93,100404(R)  http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevB.93.100404

2015

K. Triantou, K. Mergia, S. Florez, B. Perez, J. Barcena, W. Rottermal, G. Pinaud and W.P.P. Fischer. (2015). “Thermo-mechanical performance of an ablative/ceramic composite hybrid thermal protection structure for re-entry applications”, Composites Part B 82,159-165. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesb.2015.07.020
K. Triantou, K. Mergia, A. Marinou, G. Vekinis, J. Barcena, S. Florez, B. Perez, G. Pinaud, J.-M. Bouilly and W.P.P. Fischer. (2015). “Novel hybrid ablative/ceramic layered composite for earth re-entry thermal protection: Microstructural and mechanical performance”, Journal of Materials Engineering and Performance 24,1452–1461  []
N. Nikolaou, P. Dimitrakis, P. Normand, D. Skarlatos, K. Giannakopoulos, K. Mergia, V. Ioannou-Sougleridis, K. Kukli, J. Niinisto, K. Mizohata, M. Ritala, M. Leskela. (2015). “Inert ambient annealing effect on MANOS capacitor memory characteristics", Nanotechnology 26,134004.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/0957-4484/26/13/134004

2014

X. Hernandez, C. Jiménez, K.Mergia, P. Yialouris, V. Liedtke, C. Wilhelmi, S. Messoloras and J. Barcena. (2014). “An innovative joint structure for brazing Cf/SiC composite to Titanium alloy”, Journal of Materials Engineering and Performance 23(8), 3069–3076.

2013

D. Lafatzis and K. Mergia. (2013). “Oxidation behaviour of Si wafer substrates in air”, J. Appl. Phys. 114,144308.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4824376
Ch. Linsmeier, C.-C. Fu, A. Kaprolat, S.F. Nielsen, K. Mergia, R. Schäublin, R. Lindau, H. Bolt, J.-Y. Buffière, M.J. Caturla, C. Ferrero, H. Greuner, M. Hofmann, C. Hugenschmidt, T. Jourdan, M. Köppen, T. Płociński, J. Riesch1, B. Schillinger, A. Vollmer, T. Weitkamp, J.-H. You, A. Zivelonghi, and the FEMaS partners. (2013). Advanced materials characterization and modeling using synchrotron, neutron, TEM, and novel micro-mechanical techniques – A European effort to accelerate fusion materials development”, Journal of Nuclear Materials, 442 (1-3 SUPPL.1) S834-S845.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2013.04.042

2012

M.Yu. Lavrentiev, K. Mergia, M. Gjoka, D. Nguyen-Manh, G. Apostolopoulos, and S.L. Dudarev. (2012). “Magnetic Cluster Expansion Simulation and Experimental Study of  High Temperature Magnetic Properties of Fe-Cr Alloys”, Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter 24, 326001. https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0953-8984/24/32/326001