idw – Informationsdienst Wissenschaft
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
idw - Informationsdienst
Wissenschaft
Darmstadt, May 11, 2023. The German Research Foundation (DFG) has approved the international research training group “Nuclear Photonics” of TU Darmstadt and Politehnica University Bucharest. The Research Training Group will be funded with approximately five million euros from 1 October 2023 to 30 September 2028. The spokesperson is TU Professor Norbert Pietralla.
Nuclear photonics is a rapidly developing interdisciplinary research field. It addresses laser-induced phenomena on nuclear energy scales and comprises the generation of brilliant particle beams by high-power lasers, basic research in nuclear physics with photonuclear reactions and developments of new techniques and methods for their use. The aim is to generate and enhance beams of high-energy photons, of light and heavy ions and of neutrons using lasers. Photonuclear research is expected to provide valuable data on nuclear structure and astrophysical questions and their scientific interpretation. Aspects of accelerator technology, radiation-hard particle detectors and corresponding measurement methods will expand technological and metrological applications of nuclear photonics. Among other things, the results will be used to gain new insights into the formation of the heaviest elements in the universe and to develop methods for the disposal of radioactive waste or new tools for diagnosis and medical treatment.
The international Research Training Group combines the research strength of TU Darmstadt with a new programme at Politehnica in Bucharest to use and support the unique instruments of the European Extreme-Light Infrastructure - Nuclear Physics (ELI-NP). ELI is a network of three major research facilities in Bucharest (Romania, ELI-Nuclear Physics), Prague (Czech Republic, ELI-Beamlines) and Szeged (Hungary, ELI-ALPS), with scientists from TU Darmstadt involved in their planning and construction.
Up to 80 early career researchers will benefit from direct access to world-leading instruments in nuclear photonics, which they can use for their research projects in an international, collaborative and challenging environment with guidance from a diverse team of 21 experienced scientists. A tailor-made qualification programme aims at scientific excellence of the fellows in order to best prepare them for career paths in research or in the private or public sector.
“The individual research projects are the backbone of the qualification”, explains TU professor Norbert Pietralla, spokesperson of the Research Training Group. “They are carried out with the help of extended research stays at both partner institutions. New appointments broaden the teaching portfolio, which is supported by promotions of early academic independence and visibility, including networking and experiences with international summer schools and conferences or publication training.”
The supervision concept is also based on selected measures that support early career researchers in achieving their research goals and their doctorate at an early stage. They include transparent supervision agreements and individual doctoral committees that monitor research progress in regular meetings. Measures from the qualification programme also serve to ensure close supervision of the doctoral projects. Regular general meetings ensure that early career researchers have a say in the development of the research goals, the measures in the qualification programme and the supervision concept. For its part, the progress of the Research Training Group is monitored annually by an advisory board made up of a diverse group of top international researchers.
About TU Darmstadt
TU Darmstadt is one of Germany’s leading technical universities and a synonym for excellent, relevant research. We are crucially shaping global transformations – from the energy transition via Industry 4.0 to artificial intelligence – with outstanding insights and forward-looking study opportunities. TU Darmstadt pools its cutting-edge research in three fields: Energy and Environment, Information and Intelligence, Matter and Materials. Our problem-based interdisciplinarity as well as our productive interaction with society, business and politics generate progress towards sustainable development worldwide. Since we were founded in 1877, we have been one of Germany’s most international universities; as a European technical university, we are developing a trans-European campus in the network, Unite! With our partners in the alliance of Rhine-Main universities – Goethe University Frankfurt and Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz – we further the development of the metropolitan region Frankfurt-Rhine-Main as a globally attractive science location.
MI-Nr. 19e/2023, Pietralla/mho
Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Norbert Pietralla
gd@ikp.tu-darmstadt.de
+49 6151 16-23540
Criteria of this press release:
Journalists, Scientists and scholars, Students
Physics / astronomy
transregional, national
Research projects, Science policy
English
You can combine search terms with and, or and/or not, e.g. Philo not logy.
You can use brackets to separate combinations from each other, e.g. (Philo not logy) or (Psycho and logy).
Coherent groups of words will be located as complete phrases if you put them into quotation marks, e.g. “Federal Republic of Germany”.
You can also use the advanced search without entering search terms. It will then follow the criteria you have selected (e.g. country or subject area).
If you have not selected any criteria in a given category, the entire category will be searched (e.g. all subject areas or all countries).
