Master Students 2026/27

Background 
Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas formed from the decay of uranium and thorium, often present in materials containing naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM). It is commonly found in building materials, mining industries, and even in certain raw materials used for scientific research. Because radon is mobile and can escape into air or process streams, it poses unique challenges for radiation protection, monitoring, and environmental safety. 

Accurate measurement of radon is essential to assess and control its impact. Liquid Scintillation Counting (LSC) with HIDEX instrumentation is a powerful technique that can be adapted for such applications. Developing and optimizing new methodologies for radon and gross alpha-beta measurements will provide valuable tools for both fundamental research and industrial process monitoring. 

Your Tasks 

• Develop and test methods for radon detection using HIDEX LSC, including extractive methods. 

• Perform gross alpha-beta screening measurements with LSC. 

• Optimize methods for sensitivity and reproducibility. 

• Apply methods to case studies, e.g., radon mapping in complex material or process streams. 

What you’ll gain 

• Strong theoretical and practical knowledge of alpha-beta spectroscopy. 

• Hands-on training in advanced liquid scintillation counting using HIDEX instrumentation. 

• Practical insights into radon monitoring and mapping in industrially relevant scenarios. 

Who is this for? 

This project is ideal for students who want to combine radiochemistry, analytical method development, and environmental/industrial applications. If you’re curious about radiation measurement techniques and want to contribute to safer use of NORM in society, this thesis will give you both the scientific foundation and the laboratory skills to do so. 

Location: Institute for Energy Technology, Tracer Technology department. 

Apply: Annonse – Webcruiter

Background 
Neutron beams are used in a variety of disciplines from materials science to chemistry, physics and engineering, and are complementary to X-rays to provide information about materials structure, dynamic behavior and magnetic properties.  

Neutron instruments are tools that channel and modify the neutron beams so that they can be used for different purposes. Examples of neutron instruments include imaging setups, diffractometers, spectrometers, reflectometers and small angle scatterers as well as dedicated instruments for nuclear and fundamental physics. These instruments are built from physical components such as guides, collimators and jaws that help to transport and focus the neutron beam on a chosen sample. The whole instrument needs to be encased in a radiation shield to protect both the instrumentation and the user. 

There are about 250 neutron instruments in Europe. These are generally placed at large facilities such as ILL (France), PSI (Switzerland), and ISIS (UK). The currently-under-construction ESS (Sweden) is expected to become the most powerful accelerator-based neutron source in the world.  

Additionally, smaller neutron sources such as the compact accelerator-based neutron sources (CANS) or the compact and portable neutron sources based on radioactive isotopic reactions are also getting traction as alternative sources for neutron scattering experiments and other neutron related treatments, such as activation analysis and isotope production. 

Because of their complexity, both neutron sources and neutron instruments need to be carefully designed and tested before construction; their components and shielding elements optimized.  

There are a number of modeling tools available for the design and optimization of neutron instruments and their neutron sources. They also allow testing and planning of experiments, including the understanding of the results and the analysis of the produced data. The most common tools are Monte Carlo (MC) based (MCNP, PHITS, FLUKA) and ray tracing compilers (MCSTAS, VITESS). 

Your Tasks 

• Learn to use at least one MC and one ray tracing simulation tool. 

• Simulate a neutron source (example: a portable deuterium-tritium based 14 MeV neutron source or a compact accelerator-based neutron source) . 

• Design and run a neutron instrument including its shielding (example: radiography station). 

• Develop and test realistic experiments with the simulated neutron source and neutron instrument. 

What you’ll gain: 

• Strong knowledge of neutron physics and materials science as well as radiation safety protocols. 

• State of the art modeling expertise relevant to a variety of disciplines for real-world applications. 

Who is this for? 
This project is ideal for students who want to combine physics, chemistry and/or materials science with modeling and radiation safety. If you are curious about large scientific instruments and the use of neutrons for science and want to be ready for the coming ESS, this thesis will give you both the scientific foundation and the expertise in the tools to do so. 

Location: Institute for Energy Technology, Tracer Technology department. 

Apply: Annonse – Webcruiter

Background 

Radioactive isotopes of caesium (Cs-134, Cs-135, and Cs-137) were released into the atmosphere during the Chernobyl accident and due to the Nordic fallout, can still be found in the environment. Rapid and reliable measurement of these during and after accidents is essential for the protection of human health. Seaweed in the marine environment can accumulate and concentrate Cs through potassium uptake, as it absorbs nutrients directly from the surrounding water; as fish feed on seaweed, radiocaesium can enter the marine food chain. After the Chernobyl-accident, the marine environment along the Norwegian coast was monitored for artificial radionuclides and this resulted in historical archive of seaweed samples that still exists at IFE. Traditionally, radiocaesium has been measured using gamma spectrometry, however, in the recent years the measurement methods have shifted towards mass spectrometry (ICP-MS/MS), creating a need to further develop analytical competence in this area. 

Your Tasks 

• Literature review on Chernobyl-derived radiocaesium in marine environment and its accumulation to seaweed.  

• Method development and/or validation for radioceasium measurement using ICP-MS/MS technique.  

• Sample preparation and analysis using IFEs historical archive of seaweed samples collected during the Chernobyl accident. 

• Result interpretation in terms of environmental transport and behavior of radiocaesium.  

What you’ll gain 

• Insight into radionuclide transfer in environment and accumulation into biota.  

• Hands-on experience working with radioactive materials and radionuclide separation from environmental samples.  

• Strong theoretical and practical knowledge of using ICP-MS/MS for radionuclide separation and measurement.  

Who is this for? 

This project is ideal for students who want to combine radiochemistry, radioecology, analytical method development, and environmental applications. If you want to learn about radionuclide separation and state-of-the-art measurement techniques and gain practical laboratory skills, then this project might be a good fit for you.  

Location: Institute for Energy Technology, Environmental Protection and Radiation Safety department. 

Apply: Annonse – Webcruiter

Background  

Se-79 is a beta emitting fission product of U-235 in nuclear reactors. It is a radionuclide of interest for decommissioning nuclear reactors due to its long half-life (105 years). Se-79 exists in trace level concentrations with low activity in nuclear waste; however, it is one of the nuclides that are requested to monitor in waste packages before their final disposal. Despite its relevance, a clear gap exists in literature regarding this fission product and its analysis.   

Objectives  

This thesis project aims to:  

• Optimization of separation procedures for Se-79 from various matrices (metals, graphite, concrete, ion exchange resin).  

• Comparative evaluation of analytical methods.  

• Identify the matrix-specific limitations in routine monitoring.  

Proposed approaches  

Separation approaches:  

• Distillation of Se from HCl solution – rapid method, limitations need to be identified for each sample matrix. [1]  

• Cation-exchange resin with AgNO3 precipitation – effective but time-consuming. [2]  

Measurement techniques:  

• Liquid Scintillation Counting (LSC) – sensitive but requires removal of interfering beta-emitting radionuclides.  

• ICP-MS/MS: good for trace-level detection but interfering isobaric interferences in each sample type needs to be identified (e.g., Br-79). Potential for using different reaction/collision gases (H2, O2, CH4, NH3) to further separate Se.   

Se-75 can be used as radioactive tracer for method development, yield corrections, and validation.   

Expected outcomes  

• Overview of Se chemistry and existing methods for Se-79.  

• Reliable workflow for Se-79 separation and measurement useful for routine monitoring of decommissioning waste materials.   

• Quantitative evaluation of methos, including detection limits and recoveries.  

Location: Institute for Energy Technology, Environmental Protection and Radiation Safety department. 

Apply: Annonse – Webcruiter

Background 

Lithium-ion battery recycling is becoming increasingly important as demand for critical raw materials continues to grow. Through hydrometallurgical recycling processes, valuable metals such as nickel, manganese, and cobalt can be recovered from end-of-life batteries and reintroduced into battery manufacturing. However, recycled process streams often contain impurities that may influence the synthesis and quality of new cathode materials. 

One promising route towards a circular battery industry is the direct production of cathode materials from recycled metal sulfate salts recovered from battery black mass. While this approach can significantly reduce the environmental footprint of battery production, a better understanding of impurity effects during material synthesis is needed. This project provides an opportunity to investigate how recycled feedstocks can be transformed into high-quality battery materials and how impurities influence synthesis, structure, and performance. Depending on the project scope, the work may also include electrode fabrication, coin-cell assembly, and electrochemical testing to evaluate how impurity levels affect battery performance. 

Your Tasks 

• Synthesize NMC (nickel-manganese-cobalt) cathode materials using recycled mixed-metal sulfate salts recovered from battery black mass. 

• Investigate how impurities present in recycled feedstocks affect cathode material synthesis. 

• Characterize synthesized materials using relevant analytical and materials characterization techniques. 

• Relate material properties and quality to the composition of recycled process streams. 

• Depending on project progress, fabricate electrodes and evaluate the electrochemical performance of the synthesized materials. 

What You’ll Gain 

• Hands-on experience with synthesis of battery cathode materials. 

• Training in modern materials characterization and analytical techniques. 

• Practical laboratory experience within battery recycling and materials development. 

• Experience with electrode preparation, coin-cell assembly, and electrochemical testing. 

• Insight into the connection between recycling processes, materials chemistry, and battery manufacturing. 

Who Is This For? 

This project is suitable for students interested in materials science, electrochemistry, inorganic chemistry, or battery technology. The work is highly experimental and involves substantial laboratory activities. The thesis is preferably carried out over two semesters. 

Location: Institute for Energy Technology (IFE), Battery Technology Department.

Apply: Annonse – Webcruiter