Newsportal - Ruhr-Universität Bochum

The chemistry of organic, functional coatings will quantitatively be analyzed. This concerns coatings prepared by grafting from as well as by grafting to approaches. Also polymer coatings with different crosslinking mechanisms will be investigated by element sensitive chemical analysis. The coatings are at a later stage tested in our research group regarding their low-fouling properties and the results from surface analysis will be correlated to protein attachment and biofouling assays.

This project aims at studying the achievable time resolution of plastic scintillator detectors which are readout with Silicon Photomultiplier (SiPMs). These detectors are planned to be used for the photon tagging system in the future “INvestigation of the Strong Interaction in the light flavor sector” (INSIGHT) experiment at the electron accelerator ELSA in Bonn. The photon tagging system will provide a start signal and a Time-of-Flight detector a stop signal. This will allow the identification of different charged particles.

An incubation experiment is conducted using soils from different sludge pond locations under the addition of five different nutrient solutions (treatments). The experiment is carried out with three laboratory replicates each. With three laboratory replicates (n=3), four soils (n=4), and five treatments (n=5), the total number of samples is 60. The soil samples, each weighing 50 g (WHC 50%), are incubated at 20°C for 35 days (7 days pre-incubation + 28 days experiment) in a CarboBot system. After 7 days of pre-incubation, different nutrient solutions (treatments) are added to the samples: (1) without nutrients, with water (control), (2) glucose (C6H12O6), (3) ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3), (4) glucose + ammonium nitrate, (5) phosphate (presumably as Ca(H2PO4)2+H2O). During the 28-day experiment, basal respiration is measured in a CarboBot unit, which measures CO2 evolution every 4 hours and requires the KOH to be renewed when critical CO2 saturation levels are reached.

This project aims a combining a Stimulated Emission Depletion (STED) and a Scanning Ion Conductance Microscope (SICM) to allow simultaneous, correlated recording of the cellular topography and a protein distribution in living cells with diffraction-unlimited resolution.

Detailed knowledge from particle physics experiments will be used to study in-situ the behaviour of particles and gases in bulk reactors. γ rays from a positron annihilation will be used in a PET-like configuration taking advantage of developments of most-modern particle physics detectors. The advantage of PET lies in the fact that it is a non-invasive technology that allows to study the behaviour of systems in a closed containment densely packed with spheres. While PET technology is often used in medical applications, we will use bulk spheres and gases marked with radioactive positron sources and PET to study the transport of those spheres and gases in bulk solids reactors

In the department RUBION ion-beams, in the area of the industrial implantation, ion irradiations in the MeV range are carried out on behalf of customers in cooperation with our partner, the rubitec GmbH. There is a wide range of different ions available. The available energy and dose range depends on the respective species and the wafer size of our customers. The possibilities are determined by us depending on the application for each customer on request. In this field we are certified according to DIN EN ISO 9001: 2015 !

Ion Beam Analysis techniques are widely established and routinely applied methods for the precise characterization of materials. Their broad application in materials science, energy applications, and cultural heritage studies reflects their reliability, least-destructive nature, and high analytical sensitivity. Among these techniques, Rutherford/Elastic Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS/EBS) and Nuclear Reaction Analysis (NRA) are two of the most employed. Both provide valuable depth profile information, while NRA additionally offers isotopic sensitivity and the possibility for simultaneous analysis of several low Z elements in near-surface layers of materials. Especially, when these techniques are applied at projectile energies in the 100–300 keV range, as in Medium Energy Ion Scattering (MEIS), additional benefits emerge. Owing to the limited penetration of low-energy beam particles in matter, MEIS exhibits exceptional surface sensitivity, achieving depth resolution on the order of a few nanometers. Despite these advantages, the available differential cross-section data remain severely limited at low beam energies and across a broad span of backscattering angles. This scarcity constitutes a major constraint for accurate quantitative analysis and reliable modeling. The present work aims to address this deficiency by providing precise differential cross-section measurements in previously unexplored physics cases, focusing on proton elastic scattering and proton-induced nuclear reactions on light isotopes. The experiments will be conducted at the 500 kV single-stage accelerator of the Central Unit for Ion Beams and Radionuclides (RUBION) of the Ruhr University Bochum. Selected measurements will be extended up to 1000 keV by utilizing the 4 MV Dynamitron Tandem accelerator. Charged particles will be detected using five Silicon Surface Barrier (SSB) detectors positioned at scattering angles of 130°, 140°, 150°, 160°, and 170°.

Investigation of the sorption and desorption behavior of key ¹⁴C-labeled model compounds (glucose, citric acid, and phenylalanine) on the prepared mineral sorbents using miniaturized batch experiments. Microbial Use of Mineral-Adsorbed Model Compounds delves into the impact of mineral sorption on microbial utilization of organic compounds. This project will test hypotheses regarding the influence of sorption energy thresholds, nutrient availability, pH, and mineral surface complexity on microbial carbon use efficiency (CUE). Through ¹⁴C-labeled substrate incubation trials with varying mineral types, nutrient amendments, and pH conditions, the project will quantify ¹⁴CO₂ evolution, microbial biomass, and water-extractable organic carbon.

This long-term project aims at developing and optimizing our STED and SICM instrument.

This project focuses on the study of (α,γ) reactions relevant to nuclear astrophysics, and, specifically to the p-process nucleosynthetic mechanism. The study will combine experimental measurements with theoretical studies. The main objective is to obtain reliable cross-section data in energy regions where existing data is limited or absent, allowing for stronger and more reliable constraints on theoretical model calculations. The measurements will be performed at energies relevant to stellar environments (6–15 MeV) using the 4 MV Dynamitron Tandem accelerator of the Central Unit for Ion Beams and Radionuclides (RUBION) at Ruhr University Bochum. The emitted γ-rays, will be recorded by the high-efficiency 4π NaI(Tl) summing detector of RUBION, which allows for precise determination of the corresponding excitation functions with enhanced sensitivity and improved statistical accuracy.