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November 30, 2022 to December 2, 2022
CERN
Europe/Zurich timezone

From magnetic moments and biochemistry to future β-NMR studies at VITO

Dec 2, 2022, 9:00 AM
25m
503/1-001 - Council Chamber (CERN)

503/1-001 - Council Chamber

CERN

162
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Invited (In person) Biophysics

Speaker

Marcus Jankowski (Technische Universitaet Darmstadt (DE))

Description

While NMR is an indispensable technique in physics, chemistry, and biology, it bears constraints of low sensitivity, which make it challenging or unsuitable to study a variety of common elements. These limitations are widely overcome by β-particle-detecting NMR. It benefits from combining a hyperpolarisation of the nuclear spin generated through optical pumping, and an efficient detection of the β particles emitted asymmetrically from the decaying hyperpolarised isotopes. Among the established use cases of β-NMR are solid-state, atomic, and nuclear physics. One novel field of interest lies in biochemistry, aiming for a better understanding of molecular structures, dynamics, and chemical reactions.
A forerunner in β-NMR is the VITO beamline at ISOLDE. This setup has recently undergone major upgrades, including the installation of a superconducting magnet, a new detector array and a new data acquisition system to push boundaries towards β-NMR with biological samples. After re-commissioning the setup in 2021, the first such measurement campaign (IS666) was conducted this year, studying the interaction of 47K and 49K with DNA G-quadruplex structures.
Furthermore, two new research programmes have recently been launched at VITO. The key project’s objective is to measure the distribution of the magnetization inside the nucleus. Another project aims for recording the β decay asymmetries in coincidence with emitted γ rays and neutrons to firmly establish spins and parities of excited states populated in daughter nuclei.

Primary authors

Marcus Jankowski (Technische Universitaet Darmstadt (DE)) Nikolay Azaryan (Adam Mickiewicz University (PL)) Mark Bissell (University of Manchester (GB)) Mateusz Jerzy Chojnacki (Universite de Geneve (CH)) Jared Croese (CERN) Katarzyna Maria Dziubinska-Kuhn Beatrice Karg (Universite de Geneve (CH)) Ilaria Michelon (Universita e INFN, Padova (IT)) Monika Piersa-Silkowska (CERN) Tobias Patrick Treczoks (Universitaet Oldenburg (DE)) Magdalena Kowalska (CERN)

Presentation materials