On April 23, 2025, Physik Alumni organized a tour of VERA (Vienna Environmental Research Accelerator), where alumni from the University had the chance to discover first-hand one of the most remarkable facilities at the University of Vienna.
What do Ötzi, Albrecht Dürer, and sludge from the deep ocean have in common? All of them have been subjects of study at VERA. This is an accelerator facility optimized for Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS). The main instrument is a 3-MV Pelletron tandem accelerator from the National Electrostatics Corporation (NEC), USA. The facility went into operation in 1996 and was expanded in 2001 and 2016 to enable AMS of radioisotopes across the entire nuclide chart, including isobar separation using a self-developed ion-laser interaction setup.
Guided by senior scientist Martin Martschini, we learned about the science behind the accelerator and the many exciting interdisciplinary projects it supports. After the lecture, we visited the accelerator itself, discovering the technical marvels of the facility and the world-unique innovations housed in this Viennese scientific hub.
After the tour, we invited our graduates for refreshments, where they had the chance to ask Dr. Martschini more questions about the life of experimental particle physicists. Regarding this inspiring event, we look forward to offering more tours for our alumni!