Documented project
CERN–PSI Terbium Campaign at ISOLDE
Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) · Dec 2017
During late doctoral research and the early CERN Senior Fellowship, collaborated with the PSI Radionuclide Development group on a terbium radionuclide collection at CERN-ISOLDE using ISOLTRAP infrastructure. Chemistry fluency from the university nuclear-chemistry minor enabled an immediate contribution to target physics, laser optimisation, and yield maximisation for medical and tumor-research applications. PSI Group Leader Dr. Nick van der Meulen later described the December 2017 campaign in writing as the group’s most successful terbium collection to that date. CERN MEDICIS was still in commissioning at the time.
Leadership mandate
- →Collaborated with the PSI Radionuclide Development group during a terbium radionuclide collection at CERN-ISOLDE using ISOLTRAP infrastructure.
- →Contributed at the CERN–PSI interface while MEDICIS was being commissioned, helping demonstrate practical medical-isotope collection pathways later scaled through MEDICIS.
Hands-on technology scope
- →Played an integral role in laser optimization, target-physics judgement, and yield maximisation for the desired terbium product during the December 2017 collection campaign—applying chemistry understanding from the nuclear-chemistry minor years after the diploma.
- →Supported experimental execution under radiation-protection and laboratory constraints at CERN-ISOLDE using ISOLTRAP infrastructure.
Selected outcomes
Most successful campaign to date
PSI Group Leader Dr. Nick van der Meulen stated in a written recommendation (21 Nov 2019) that this involvement led to the most successful terbium collection campaign the group had to date.
MEDICIS commissioning context
The December 2017 campaign coincided with MEDICIS commissioning and first isotope collections; dedicated MEDICIS capacity was not yet in regular operation, so the work relied on available ISOLDE / ISOLTRAP facilities.
Relevant executive mandates
Sources & evidence
- 1.PSI group leader public profile: Dr. Nicholas Philip van der Meulen — Radionuclide Development
Paul Scherrer Institute PSI
- 2.PSI written recommendation, 21 Nov 2019: PSI letter of recommendation — terbium campaign
Dr. Nick van der Meulen, PSI
- 3.