Institute of Atomic and Subatomic Physics: brief survey
The Institute of Atomic and Subatomic Physics was founded in 1958 as an inter-university institute for all Austrian universities and started operation in 1962, when the TRIGA Mark II research reactor of the institute was officially opened. It was dedicated to research and training in the areas of atomic, nuclear and reactor physics, radiation physics, radiation protection, environmental analytics and radiochemistry, nuclear measurement technology and solid state physics. Since then quantum physics, quantum optics, low temperature physics and superconductivity have developed as additional focus points of research. Right from the beginning the Vienna University of Technology was chosen as the administrative body of the institute, which however maintained its status as an independent legal entity for over three decades. Today, the Atomic Institute is one of four physics institutes at the Vienna University of Technology and forms the Physics Faculty of our University together with the Institutes for Theoretical, General and Solid State Physics.
The permanent personnel of the institute comprise 25 scientists and 29 technical staff members. Project assistants (36 at present), employed through externally acquired funds, have become increasingly important and most valuable for fulfilling the research and training goals of the institute, where around 50 students are working on their diploma or doctoral thesis.
The organisational structure of the institute comprises several central units, particularly reactor operation and radiation protection, and 6 research areas as follows: applied quantum physics, atomic physics and quantum optics, nuklear physics and nuclear particle physics, neutron and quantum physics, radiation physics as well as low temperature physics and superconductivity. Some of these departments have developed strong scientific links worldwide; others serve as most valuable training and educational centres for international organisations, such as the International Atomic Energy Agency.
The Institute of Atomic and Subatomic Physics offers a large number of lectures and lab courses in the above research areas, which form an integral part of all curricula offered by the Physics Faculty.