Laser spectroscopy of radioisotopes for fundamental and applied research

The KU Leuven Institute for Nuclear and Radiation Physics (IKS) specializes in the production and use of radioactive ion beams for the study of nuclear structure and nuclear reactions, as well as the use of radioisotopes and radiation as probes for the study of fundamental symmetries at the low-energy particle level. The Interdisciplinary Research Group of Prof Thomas Cocolios is expanding this research into new domains, including the production of novel medical radioisotopes with the isotope separation online (ISOL) technique. Research is performed at the CERN ISOLDE and MEDICIS facilities, as well as at the Belgian Nuclear Research Center SCK CEN located in Mol. The research outputs are part of larger collaborations including radiochemistry, radiopharmacy, and research hospital partners locally (UZ Leuven, UZ Brussel, UZ Ghent) and at the European and international levels (PRISMAP, LISA ITN). The Interdisciplinary Research Group also features a fundamental research programme into the shape of radioisotopes by means of resonance ionization spectroscopy in the ion-source (PI-LIST) and in collinear geometry (CRIS), as well as with muonic x-ray spectroscopy at the Paul Scherrer Institute (Villigen, CH). The group is also involved in decay spectroscopy studies as input for nuclear data for medical applications, as identification and counting for laser spectroscopy, or in the search of exotic decay modes like beta-delayed fission.
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Responsibilities

Within the IKS Interdisciplinary Research Group, you will carry out research in the production, purification and study of radioactive isotopes using laser resonance ionization techniques. You will integrate into the Resonance Ionization Laser Ion Source (RILIS) team at CERN led by Dr Katerina Chrysalidis, which operates the ISOLDE RILIS and the MEDICIS Laser Source for Spectroscopy Applications (MELISSA), amongst other facilities. In particular, you will become the responsible person for operating and developing MELISSA and the main actor in liaising between the MEDICIS operation and the RILIS team. Your research activities will be integrated within the RILIS programme, providing you with opportunity to show creativity and take leadership. You will also benefit from the expertise and support of the RILIS team and contribute to ongoing research.
Besides the research activities and MELISSA responsibilities, you will have the opportunity to supervise students and interns/apprentices within the CERN programmes (CERN apprenticeship, CERN Summer Student Program, CERN Technical Student Program), to report on your own findings internally and to the scientific community. You will also have the opportunity to further your professional growth in a dynamic team.

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Offer

More information

MELISSA webpage

Interested?

For more information please contact Prof. dr. Thomas Elias Cocolios, tel.: +32 16 32 31 16, mail: thomas.cocolios@kuleuven.be or dr. Katerina Chrysalidis (CERN) mail: katerina.chrysalidis@cern.ch.
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