The scientific interest of our group focuses on the chemical properties of the heaviest elements of the periodic table - the transactinides. Therefore, your work will be related to the development of fast and efficient gas phase chromatographic separation methods for volatile elements and their compounds at a single atomic level in combination with sophisticated radioanalytical detection methods. For this purpose a broad portfolio of radioactive tracer nuclides and a variety of radioanalytic equipment are available. The experiments with transactinides are performed in international collaborations in Switzerland, USA, Russia, China, and Germany. Our laboratory offers unique research instruments at the Paul Scherrer Institute as well as at the University Bern. Your work in this technically and scientifically challenging research field will be accompanied by appropriate and motivated specialists.

The RadWasteAnalytics group of the Laboratory for Environmental and Radiochemistry at PSI deals among others with the determination of radionuclides from activated components of the PSI accelerator facilities. One of the most interesting objects for study in this field is the solid lead target from the Spallation Neutron Source (SINQ). Besides the determination of the total radionuclide inventory the results will have a high impact on the knowledge on nuclear data and the improvement of nuclear reaction models.

The reaction of dinitrogen pentoxide with atmospheric aerosol particles is of significant interest due to its impact on the oxidation capacity of the atmosphere and the climate effect of aerosol particles. You will investigate the kinetics of dinitrogen pentoxide uptake to model aerosol particles using our established methods based on the short-lived radioactive isotope N-13. You will additionnally use state of the art aerosol technology and trace gas analysis (chemical ionisation mass spectrometry and chemiluminescence) as well as kinetic modelling tools to assist your experiments.