The scientific and technical staff at the Centre for Accelerator Science have a comprehensive range of skills and abilities in the operation of accelerator instruments and techniques.
The instrument scientists have expertise in diverse areas including aerosol sampling, the characterisation of advanced materials, radiocarbon dating of cultural heritage and environmental samples, irradiations, the detection of the actinides, among others.
From assistance with the preparation samples and sample environments, to more technical advice relating to experiments, our team can provide guidance and insights to expedite the investigation.
Prof David Cohen is recognised nationally and internationally as an expert in accelerator-based ion beam analysis. He is an authority on fine particle pollution, and has overseen the compilation of aerosol sampling databases from key sites in Australia and around the world for more than 20 years.
Dr Michael Hotchkis has developed and applied AMS techniques to analyse actinides at extremely low levels in environmental samples. Isotopic analyses of actinides at ANSTO are performed in support of nuclear safeguards in association with the IAEA and research projects in astrophysics.
Dr Andrew Smith is a world authority on applications of the long-lived radionuclides (14C & 10Be) in polar ice sheets as tracers and chronometers for environmental studies. He had a pivotal role in the development of ANSTO's capability to measure 14C in ultra-small carbon samples containing just a few micrograms of carbon and in the measurement of the short-lived radioisotope 7Be.
Dr Vladimir Levchenko has expertise in radiocarbon measurements on cultural heritage objects, including im tant Indigenous Australian rock art and ancient fossils.
Dr Zeljko Pastuovic undertakes interdisciplinary scientific research in the areas of radiation dosimetry, ion beam modification of materials, and applied nuclear methods for microscopy, mapping and characterisation with the ANTARES Heavy Ion Microprobe.
Dr Klaus Wilcken oversees the cosmogenic isotope (10Be, 26Al & 36Cl) measurements in collaboration with ANSTO staff and external users. He manages the 36Cl sample preparation laboratory. He has published widely in the area of landscape reconstruction using the cosmogenic nuclides.
