Projects
Studying the mechanisms of developmental delay in KCNQ2 encephalopathy using patient derived brain organoids. University of Antwerp
Density functional methods for the theoretical modeling of Auger decay KU Leuven
The emission of an Auger electron is the predominant relaxation mechanism of core-vacant states in molecules composed of light nuclei and thus of great importance to all settings that involve ionizing radiation such as X rays. Auger decay is a non-radiative process in which one valence electron fills the core vacancy while a second valence electron is emitted into the ionization continuum. Because of this coupling to the continuum, ...
Photoabsorption spectroscopy and decay dynamics of small coinage metal clusters KU Leuven
Clusters, commonly defined as species composed of a countable number of atoms, have properties strongly dependent on size and composition. Many efforts have been undertaken in order to understand cluster properties, combining experimental and theoretical approaches. These have mainly covered ground-states properties, such as lowest-energy structures or gas-phase reactivities, leaving processes influenced by the excited-state dynamics of the ...
Fundamental advances for the fire safety of tall timber structures including the fire decay phase Ghent University
Urban densification, sustainability drivers and technological advances foster the development of high-rise structures using bio-based materials like engineered wood products. Their main worldwide barrier relates to fire safety. Although a natural fire has a decay phase, structural capacity is traditionally assessed according to a standard fire curve: an unrealistic ever-increasing thermal exposure with time, conceived as worst-case design ...
Game-changing designs for sustainable and affordable protection of mass timber products against fungal decay. Ghent University
Construction timber and engineered wood products are key building elements in the transition towards a more sustainable building industry. However, many wooden building elements are (to some extent) biodegradable which makes them vulnerable to decay risk when used in applications with a fungal decay risk. If they are to become widely applicable, there is need for affordable and sustainable wood protection methods that can be applied on a ...
Radiative decay of laser excited clusters in molecular beams KU Leuven
Clusters are particles composed of a small number of atoms. They have extreme size- and composition dependent properties due to quantum confinement and electron correlation effects. The production of size selected clusters in macroscopic amounts, so that species can be used in applications, is determined by the system’s stability. For many years, the stability of clusters has been investigated by studying their fragmentation following laser ...
Characterization of the thermal exposure and material properties of concrete during the fire decay phase for performance-based structural fire engineering. Ghent University
Fires are a frequent threat for society. Structures are commonly designed to avoid collapse in the heating phase of the fire, allowing for safe evacuation. Structural stability in the decay phase is not considered. This is a problem for fire fighter safety, and from the perspective of sustainability and resilience (buildings are not designed to survive a fire). The idea of designing buildings for decay phase safety and post-fire usability has ...
Radiative Decay Study of the low-lying thorium-229 isomer KU Leuven
The existence of a low-lying nuclear isomer of thorium-229 at 8.28 eV was suggested several decades ago but was only recently identified via the observation of its decay signal. The low energy and an estimated relative decay width of around 10^{-19} open new possibilities for the development of a nuclear frequency standard-a nuclear clock, which can outperform the existing atomic clocks. This will have far-reaching consequences, such as in ...