GRK 2891:  Nuclear Photonics

• Subject Area: Particles, Nuclei and Fields ; Optics, Quantum Optics and Physics of Atoms, Molecules and Plasmas
• Term: since 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 499256822

Nuclear Photonics is an emerging interdisciplinary research field. It comprises advances on high-power laser-driven particle beams, fundamental research in nuclear science with photonuclear reactions, and developments of novel instrumentation and methods for their scientific exploitation. The generation of beams of MeV-ranged photons, of light and heavy ions, and neutrons by high-power laser beams will be advanced. Research on photonuclear science address precious data for nuclear structure or astrophysics, and their scientific interpretation. Advances on laser-target interactions, specific aspects of particle-accelerator science, radiation-hard particle detectors, and on corresponding metrology expand the technological and methodological reach of Nuclear Photonics. This research training group connects the strengths at the Technische Universität Darmstadt with the newly initiated program at the University POLITEHNICA of Bucharest exploiting and supporting the unique instrumentation provided by the European Extreme-Light Infrastructure - Nuclear Physics (ELI-NP). Up to 40 doctoral researchers at a time benefit from their privileged access to world-leading instrumentation in the field of Nuclear Photonics which they can utilize for their research projects in an international, collaborative, and intellectually challenging environment with the guidance by a diverse team of 21 experienced research trainers. The research trainees benefit from a dedicated qualification program aiming at scientific excellence and at best preparing them for their careers in academia or in the commercial or public sectors. The individual research projects represent the backbone of the qualification program. They are conducted at both partner institutions by offering extended internships at the partner. New faculty appointments expand the academic qualification program which is augmented by additional support for gaining early scientific independence and visibility, including networking with peers and with external scientists, international experiences in summer schools and conferences, and training on oral and written scientific presentations. The supervision concept rests on a tailor-made suite of measures that support the trainees in reaching their research goals and their doctoral graduation in a timely manner. It comprises a transparent supervision agreement and the establishment of individual doctoral committees that accompany the progress in regular meetings. Measures of the qualification program serve a close supervision of the progress on the doctoral studies, at the same time. Regular assemblies of all members secure the impact of the trainees on the development of the research goals, and on the measures of the qualification program and the supervision concept in a participative way. The success of the research training is annually monitored by an external International Research Training Advisory Board of a diverse team of world-class scientists in the field.

• DFG Programme: International Research Training Groups
• International Connection: Romania
• Applicant Institution: Technische Universität Darmstadt
• IRTG-Partner Institution: Universitatea POLITEHNICA din București
• Spokesperson: Professor Dr. Norbert Andreas Pietralla
• Participating Researchers: Dr. Michaela Arnold; Professor Dr. Thomas Aumann; Privatdozent Dr. Vincent Bagnoud; Professor Dr. Oliver Boine-Frankenheim; Professor Dr. Joachim Enders; Professorin Dr. Tetyana Galatyuk; Dr. Johann Isaak; Professor Dr. Stephan Kuschel; Professor Dr. Gabriel Martinez-Pinedo; Professor Dr. Markus Roth; Professor Dr. Thomas Walther; Dr. Volker Werner
• IRTG-Partner: Spokesperson: Dr. Calin A. Ur