PhD Studentship - The Production and Separation of Exotic Isotopes for Medical Applications

Research theme: Applied Nuclear Physics

This 3.5 year PhD project is fully funded and home students, and EU students with settled status, are eligible to apply. The successful candidate will receive an annual tax-free stipend set at the UKRI rate (£20,780 for 2025/26) and tuition fees will be paid. We expect the stipend to increase each year. The start date is October 2026.

We recommend that you apply early as the advert may be removed before the deadline.

Radioactive isotopes play a significant role in our everyday lives, from industrial and environmental applications to medical diagnostics and the treatment of cancers. As demand grows and supply chains become increasingly challenging, enhancing the toolbox of available isotopes is critical for preserving these applications and exploring future use cases.

The provision of exotic isotopes for research is often limited by contamination related to co-produced species. Electromagnetic isotope separators offer a complementary approach to chemical purification and have a growing role in the provision of novel medical and technical isotopes. This project seeks to expand the capabilities of existing ion sources for such applications, in addition to exploring Atomic Vapour Laser Ion Source (AVLIS) techniques for isotope separation and enrichment.

The project will be based in Manchester with experiments anticipated at the Paul Scherrer Institute (CH) and KU Leuven (BE). The project lies at an intersection of atomic, nuclear and accelerator physics, therefore a multidisciplinary approach is required. During the course of their research, the student will gain practical experience in laser operation, ion source technologies, vacuum systems, ion beam transport and detection, laser spectroscopy for atomic and nuclear physics, high voltage and high current systems and data analysis.

The minimum academic entry requirement for a PhD in the Faculty of Science and Engineering is an upper second-class honours degree (or international equivalent) in a discipline directly relevant to the PhD OR any upper-second class honours degree (or international equivalent) and a Master’s degree merit (or international equivalent) in a discipline directly relevant to the PhD.

To apply, please contact the main supervisor, Dr. Tom Day Goodacre - thomas.daygoodacre-2@manchester.ac.uk. Please include details of your current level of study, academic background and any relevant experience and include a paragraph about your motivation to study this PhD project.

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