discovered_01_2013

FOCUS// The HZDR Research Magazine WWW.Hzdr.DE 20 21 layers is undesirable. With the help of ion beam analysis, the presence of hydrogen can be detected with great precision both in terms of concentration and depth profiles. Another example is how one of our partners, the University of Surrey, actually uses ion beams in forensic analysis. Using elemental analysis, scientists are able to figure out things like the exact geographic location in England that a piece of dirt at the bottom of a murderer’s or victim’s shoe came from. These days, much research is aimed at accessing the nanometer range for use in ion beam analysis - an exciting new challenge. In fact, the HZDR recently invested in a helium ion microscope for probing the nanoworld. Let’s wrap up by taking another look at SPIRIT. What are the project’s major advantages? Let’s start with a home advantage: the EU is pouring money into our cash registers. Thanks to the rate of remuneration in exchange for the times we make our measuring instruments available, we were able to take home a nice six-figure amount. And we’re talking about real and flexible income we can use to, say, purchase a new ion implantation facility. Another important motivation was that, prior to this project, no consistent procedures for the application of ion beams were in place. Thanks to the extraordinarily good collaboration by Europe’s big ion beam centers, we are now able to build upon quality control, protocols, and standards. We have, in effect, been very successful. Together we were also able to expand the European research landscape and familiarize new users with the many different options offered by ion beams. If nothing else, SPIRIT’s success is confirmed by the fact that the University of Surrey, along with the HZDR and the SPIRIT partners, has been raising funds for the Marie Curie Initial Training Network SPRITE, which was launched in January 2013. This is a very positive nod towards the future. As Europe’s leading ion beam center, we are very interested in being viewed as a user facility at the next EU framework program, Horizon 2020. My successor, Jürgen Fassbender, has declared this a personal goal and has already started work in a new proposal. Of course, I will still offer up my expertise during this stage but eventually it will be very nice to get to the point where I will have fond memories of my time at the FZR, FZD, and HZDR... CONTACT _Institute of Ion Beam Physics and Materials Research at HZDR Prof. Wolfhard Möller w.moeller@hzdr.de www.spirit-ion.eu USER DIVERSITY: Use of the infrastructures as part of SPIRIT is intensely multidisciplinary and international. More than half the projects can be categorized as materials research; the remainder is divided among a broad spectrum of different research topics. Materials research: approx. 55% Other Nuclear technology EnvironmentForensics Cultural heritage Biomedical Nuclear and astrophysics Geology, mineralogy, metallurgy

discovered_01_2013

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