Annual Report 2020 of the Department of Physics
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ANNUAL REPORT 2020 DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS 1 For JYU. Since 1863. DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS At the Department of Physics in the University of Jyväskylä, we investigate the basic phenomena of nature and educate future physicists and physics teachers. Our Department is the most eminent research unit in Finland in the field of subatomic physics, i.e. particle and nuclear physics. Our Accelerator Laboratory is one of the largest and most international research infrastructures in Finland. The four accelerators housed by the laboratory are used to study nuclei and the structure of matter. Our Department also specializes in studying matter on the scale of a nanometre. The modern instruments for this research can be found from the Nanoscience Center, located next to the Department and housing part of our personnel. Our Department is highly international and we collaborate with numerous universities and research institutes abroad, such as CERN. PREFACE HEAD OF DEPARTMENT FOREWORD 20 This Annual Report provides a summary of the activities at the Department of Physics during the year 20201). The research at Department of Physics at University detriments, as is already now evident. The scientific of Jyväskylä is carried out in two main areas, activity and productivity of the Department also 20 subatomic physics and materials physics. These remained at high level. As an indication of that, the ANNUAL REPORT generic research entities both include a variety total amount of publications produced was about Department of Physics of topics that utilize methods of theoretical, 300. As a single example of the impact of publication computational and experimental physics. Materials activities, I wish to mention an earlier work of the physics includes several branches of nanophysics JYFL QCD group introducing the “EPS09” nuclear and applied materials physics. Subatomic physics parton distribution functions2) which, as the first features nuclear physics, particle physics and Finnish theoretical particle physics article, reached cosmology. Research in nanophysics concentrates the milestone of 1 000 citations during the year in the interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center that 2020. Another excellent achievement to mention is is a joint research entity involving two other the five-year ERC starting grant funding to Associate PRINTED BY departments of the Faculty of Natural Sciences Professor Juha Muhonen, working in experimental Jyväskylä University and Mathematics, the Departments of Chemistry nanophysics. Printing House and of Biological and Environmental Sciences. Experimental research in nuclear and particle In spite of severe restrictions to travelling, active physics is carried out in the Accelerator Laboratory international and national collaborations have been and in several major European research centers. maintained, and have contributed to the results Subatomic physics and multidisciplinary nanophysics achieved. In addition to mainstream academic are among the core research areas of the Faculty, research, the department has continued actively and continue being supported by several profiling in applied research and industrial collaboration. actions carried out by the University. In particular the commercial activity in radiation safety consulting service offered to companies The year 2020 will be long remembered as a and institutions, in accordance with the new peculiarity among all the years in the history of the radiation safety law, was established and reached Department of Physics since its foundation in 1965. considerable volume during the year 2020. I Starting mid March and continuing through the sincerely want to congratulate the personnel rest of the year and until now, a full year later, the and the students at the Department of all these Covid-19 pandemic has forced the personnel of the achievements over this troubled year. Department to adapt into restrictions and constantly changing practices concerning their work conditions During the year 2020, the senior staff of the and working modes. The change was especially Department was strengthened as Pekka Koskinen remarkable concerning the teaching personnel and was appointed to the position of a full professor. His students that experienced an abrupt transition field of research is in computational nanophysics from normal to full remote mode teaching within a and in research of teaching. He is also a Vice few days in March. Yet, they managed to complete Head of Department responsible for teaching and this forced transition successfully and have carried outreach. In addition, Antti Lehtinen started his through the curriculum as planned and with minor 3-year term as a Senior Lecturer position shared 1) The Department has produced an annual report every year since 1976. The reports since the year 2000 are available in electronic form in: https://www.jyu.fi/science/en/physics/current/annual-reports 2) 4 K.J. Eskola, H. Paukkunen, C.A. Salgado, EPS09: A New Generation of NLO and LO Nuclear Parton Distribution Functions, JHEP 0904 (2009) 065 with the Department of Teacher Education, thereby For me the year 2020 ended quite differently amending development and research of teaching at than I had foreseen when I was elected to be the Department. Furthermore, two new Associate the head of Physics department for 13 months. Professors (tenure track), Tuomas Grahn and When I was asked for this position in rather short Markus Kortelainen were appointed in the fields notice, my initial answer was “no” and I had many of experimental and theoretical nuclear physics, good reasons for this answer including interesting respectively, and Senior Lecturer Hannu Paukkunen research projects and a puppy at home. But then I in the field of particle physics. At the same time the gave another big thought about it, what different longtime radiation safety officer, Chief Engineer kind of insight this position would give to university Jaana Kumpulainen retired, and was followed by and finally decided to be available. Sami Rinta-Antila in this duty. Jaana will, however, continue to support the Department within the As Markku has told above, the department is commercial radiation safety consulting activities. in many ways in good shape: the research is of excellent quality and the teaching has developed The financial result of the Department in 2020 significantly over the past couple of years. One ended slightly positive as the minor downward clear reason is the quality of the leadership: I fluctuation of competitive external funding was have seen from close Markku’s devotion to the compensated by operational savings, mainly in department and his fair and listening way of travel costs. The financial status was stabilized by leading the department. Wisdom, one could say. core funding which no more showed decline, and The department is very grateful to Markku for his by the success in raising external funding during the years first as the vice-head and then as the head of previous year, coming in full use this year. I consider department. It was easy to take the control of this the strong financial status as another indication of moving train which has plenty of momentum and the high quality of the work of the entire personnel. clear direction. Finally, I wish to thank the colleagues at the The coming years will bring challenges such as the Department of Physics of these nearly three years Ylistö renovation and decreasing number of starting that I had the privilege to work as the Head of students. Although the renovation is expected Department. I have truly enjoyed working with to bring discomfort, it will bring us updated and all of you in this position. I am confident that the upgraded working, teaching and laboratory space. Department will continue to prosper under the new That, together with our teaching and research leadership and wish all the best to the new Head efforts will surely increase the numbers of of Department, Professor Timo Sajavaara, and to interested students in the coming years. The spirit the new Vice Head of Department responsible for of our department is a positive one and that will research and infrastructure, Professor Ilari Maasilta. carry far. Markku Kataja Timo Sajavaara HEAD OF DEPARTMENT 1.1.2018 – 30.11.2020 VICE-HEAD OF DEPARTMENT 1.1.2018 – 30.11.2020 HEAD OF DEPARTMENT 1.12.2020 – 5 STATISTICAL DATA CONTENTS FROM 2020 MATERIALS PHYSICS 7 The year 2020 at the NSC Professors incl. associate professors 17 University lecturers and researchers 30 Postdoctoral researchers 35 EXPERIMENTAL NANOPHYSICS Doctoral students 34 8 Thermal nanophysics 151 Technical staff28 10 Molecular technology ERC grantees 3 PERSONNEL 11 Molecular electronics and plasmonics Academy professors 1 13 Hybrid quantum technologies in silicon + Several research assistants (MSc students) 15 Complex materials Personnel counted in person-years THEORETICAL NANOPHYSICS AND COMPUTATIONAL NANOSCIENCE 16 Computational nanoscience 32 27 18 Condensed matter theory ~345 BSC DEGREES MSC DEGREES 20 Quantum many-body theory UNDERGRADUATE 22 Low-dimensional nanomaterials modeling STUDENTS 23 Superconducting spintronics of which new students 46 1 11 PHLIC DEGREES PHD DEGREES Doctoral students 67 NUCLEAR AND ACCELERATOR-BASED PHYSICS Median time to complete MSc (years)6 24 Accelerator Laboratory 26 Nuclear spectroscopy 30 Exotic nuclei and beams 34 Instruments and methods in nuclear, particle, and astroparticle physics 63 76 36 36 Nuclear structure and nuclear processes NUMBER OF INCOMING VISITS 38 Global properties of nuclei FOREIGN VISITORS