Argon Trap Trace Analysis

• Age dating of environmental systems via ³⁹Ar
• Applied Quantum Technology
• Ultrasensitive detection method using quantum optics

The goal of Argon Trap Trace Analysis, ArTTA, is to measure the ³⁹Ar concentration of ice and water samples to gain information about the dynamics of environmental systems. Due to ³⁹Ar having an extremly low abundance, an ulta-high selectivity is required which is achieved by counting single atoms in a magneto-optical trap. Using these quantum optical methods for environmental research is a unique example of applied quantum technology. In the next years the understanding of the generation of metastable atoms and further improvements of the laser cooling efficiency will be part of our research as well as expanding our capabilities to the radiokrypton isotope ⁸⁵Kr.

The ArTTA project at the Heidelberg University is a cooperation of the group of Markus Oberthaler from the Kirchhoff Institute for Physics and Werner Aeschbach from the Institute for Environmental Physics.

Are you interested in joining?

Your new passion could start with:

• Development of applied quantum technology
• Working on optics, electronics, and vacuum systems
• Data evaluation and programming
• Dating environmental water and ice samples in collaboration with experts in environmental sciences

Current Projects and Collaborations

The ArTTA project is a joint project with the research group HydroTraP of Werner Aeschbach at the Institute of Environmental Physics in Heidelberg. 

Projects and their specific collaborations

An overview with all current and past projects can be found on our project specific Database DABATTA.

• Novel Dating of Alpine Glaciers by ³⁹Ar-ATTA (ArTTA-ICE)
  • Pascal Bohleber [AWI, Bremerhaven, Deutschland]
  • Andrea Fischer [Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften, Istitut für Interdisziplinäre Gebirgsforschung]
  • Martin Stocker-Waldhuber [Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften, Istitut für Interdisziplinäre Gebirgsforschung]

• Survey of the arctic ocean (VACAO)
  • Thoste Thaua [Geomar, Deutschland]

• Large-scale investigation of ocean circulation (TITANICA)
  • Núria Casacuberta Arola [ETH Zürich, Schweiz]

• Pollution studies in Australias groundwater
  • Noble Gas and ATTA facility Adelaide, Australia [CSIRO Adelaide & University of Adelaide, Australien]
  • Jochen Müller [University of Queensland, Australien]

• Groundwater in the Rocky Mountains
  • W. Payton Gardner [University of Montana, USA]

• Oman groundwater study: Investigation of low temperature peridotite alteration
  • Martin Stute [Barnard College, Columbia University, USA]
  • Amelia Vankeuren [California State University, Sacramento, USA]
  • Juerg Matter [University of Southampton, UK]

• Lake Kivu
  • Yishai Weinstein [Bar-Ilan Unviersity, Israel]

The Team

Alexander Junkermann
Phone: +49 6221 54 5174 (office)
Room: 02.317 Office 
alexander.junkermann@kip.uni-heidelberg.de

Christiane Jäger
Phone: +49 6221 54 5172
Room: 02.104 
christiane.jaeger@kip.uni-heidelberg.de

Niclas Valentino Mandaric
Phone: +49 6221 54 5174
Room: 02.317 
niclas_valentino.mandaric@kip.uni-heidelberg.de

Florian Meienburg
Phone: +49 6221 54 5189
Room: 02.317 
florian.meienburg@kip.uni-heidelberg.de

Prof. Dr. Markus Oberthaler
Phone: +49 6221 54 5170
Room: 02.102 
markus.oberthaler@kip.uni-heidelberg.de

Jonathan Lasse Ostertag-Henning
Phone: +49 6221 54 5174
Room: 02.317 
jonathan.ostertag-henning@kip.uni-heidelberg.de

David Wachs
Phone: +49 6221 54 5174
Room: 02.317 
dwachs@iup.uni-heidelberg.de

Publications

Papers

Theses