Field of Research

The research project in the second year of your training takes place in one of the research institutes of the University of Groningen that carry out research in physics:

• Nuclear Accelerator Institute (KVI)
• Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials
• Centre for Theoretical Physics (CTN)
• Centre for Isotopes Research (CIO)

Each of these research institutes has its own fields of interest. Together they constitute a wide spectrum of high-level research in physics and related sciences.
 

Nuclear Accelerator Institute (KVI)

The Nuclear Accelerator Institute is centred around a superconducting cyclotron that accelerates positively charged particles to high energies (typically 200 MeV for protons). These are used for investigations of the internal structure of atomic nuclei and the interactions between the nuclear constituents. Other groups are active in the fields of theoretical nuclear physics, fundamental interactions, atomic physics, nuclear geophysics and technical aspects of nuclear physics apparatus. The Nuclear Accelerator Institute in Groningen is one of the very few places in the Netherlands where a fundamental nuclear physics research programme is conducted. The KVI is internationally very well known and has many foreign researchers working for it.

Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials

The Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials in Groningen is one of the largest centres of materials research in the Netherlands and it belongs to the THES top 10 of best materials research institutes in the world. Basic research on materials is directed towards unravelling the relations between the properties that determine their functionality and their chemical composition and structure. The Zernike Institute is dedicated to a cross-disciplinary approach and in many research groups physicists and chemists work closely together. Research on surfaces, polymers, biomolecular materials, computational solid state physics, nanophysics, optical properties of the solid state and materials engineering are some of the fields of research. In addition to experimental research with state-of-the-art equipment, the Zernike Institute also studies theoretical solid state physics. 

The Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials in Groningen is one of the largest centres of materials research in the Netherlands and it belongs to the top 10 of best materials research institutes in the world. Basic research on materials is directed towards unravelling the relations between the properties that determine their functionality and their chemical composition and structure. The Zernike Institute is dedicated to a cross-disciplinary approach and in many research groups physicists and chemists work closely together. Research on surfaces, polymers, biomolecular materials, computational solid state physics, nanophysics, optical properties of the solid state and materials engineering are some of the fields of research. In addition to experimental research with state-of-the-art equipment, the Zernike Institute also studies theoretical solid state physics. 

Centre for theoretical physics (CTN)

An important part of the Centre for Theoretical Physics is dedicated to the fundamental foundations of nature. String theory and general relativity are the important theories in this field of research. Other fields of research include theory of condensed matter, computational physics and the mathematical description of phase transitions.

Centre for isotope physics (CIO)

The Centre for Isotope Physics is part of the Energy and Sustainibility Research Institute Groningen (ESRIG) and is specialized in the accurate measurement of the variations in the occurrence of rare natural isotopes. These isotope concentrations are of the utmost importance for the study of the worldwide carbon cycle, which in turn is co-determinate for the climate on earth. Study of climate history on the basis of C14 dating is one of the other research areas. Furthermore, isotope research is applied in many other disciplines, including archaeology (dating), behavioural biology (energy use in exercise), hydrology (water management) and oceanography (ocean currents, carbon storage in the oceans).

 

Career prospects