User:ZaaraTE/Institute for Nuclear Physics

The Institute for Nuclear Physics (IKP) (German: Institut für Kernphysik) is research institute based in Darmstadt. The institute conducts research in the fields of nuclear structure physics, nuclear astrophysics, relativistic heavy ion physics, plasma and astroparticle physics, and accelerator physics.

The scientific achievements include, for example the nuclear Giant Quadrupole Resonance (GQR), the Scissors Mode in deformed nuclei, the finestructure of the Pygmy Dipole Resonance, and the Competitive Double-Gamma (γγ/γ) Decay.

History

The history of the department goes hand in hand with the appointment of Peter Brix. In 1965 Peter Brix was appointed professor at the Technische Universität Darmstadt. During this time, Brix founded an external research group at CERN in Geneva. It was the first external research group from Germany. TU Darmstadt later also wanted to acquire a large-scale research facility and had to choose between a research reactor, a tandem accelerator or a linear accelerator for electrons. Originally, the research reactor was favoured, but Brix's efforts led to the purchase of the linear accelerator. In 1961, the Darmstadt Electron Linear Accelerator (DALINAC) was put into operation at the Institute of Nuclear Physics. Brix succeeded in having DALINAC shoot the first electron beams in 1964.

The Institute operates the Superconducting Darmstadt Electron Linear Accelerator (S-DALINAC). S-DALINAC was designed and built in the 1980s by the research group around Achim Richter. It was the first superconducting recirculating linear accelerator in Europe. It was put into operation in its current layout in 1991. It is used for basic research experiments.