A day as a researcher

Measuring, experimenting and discovering for themselves: on Girls’ Day, 14 girls looked into the reactor vessel at the Research Neutron Source Heinz Maier-Leibnitz (FRM II), tested the glove box in the chemistry lab, measured natural radiation and were given a “formula” for a career in science.

The Girls’ Day participants watch the scientific instruments in the Neutron Guide Hall West from the gallery. © Laura Richter, FRM II/TUM.

The Girls’ Day participants watch the scientific instruments in the Neutron Guide Hall West from the gallery. © Laura Richter, FRM II/TUM.

“What would happen if you swam in the reactor pool?”, “How much water is actually in there?” Veronika Reich, a PhD student at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon at the Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Zentrum, answered these and many other questions from the curious visitors, aged between 12 and 15.

FRM II press officer Anke Görg demonstrated just how versatile neutron research is in her talk: she explained how neutrons help us better understand the causes of coral bleaching, improve satellite nozzles produced by 3D printers, or understand specific cancer-fighting enzymes in the body.

In the ‘Black Box’ experiment, the young researchers identified the object inside the box by measuring the penetration depths at various points, thereby discovering how neutrons can make the invisible visible. © Laura Richter, FRM II/TUM.

In the ‘Black Box’ experiment, the young researchers identified the object inside the box by measuring the penetration depths at various points, thereby discovering how neutrons can make the invisible visible. © Laura Richter, FRM II/TUM.

A peek inside the ‘Black Box’

How do you look inside an object without opening it? During the ‘Black Box’ experiment, the girls became researchers themselves. Using wooden skewers, they probed hidden objects inside a box and plotted their depth on a coordinate system. In this way, they playfully tested the basic principle of neutron research before heading to the actual facility: from a height of 17 metres, the group peered through the visitor window directly into the reactor pool, which, as Veronika Reich told the budding researchers, holds 700m³ of fully desalinated water.

“And swimming in the reactor pool is, of course, not allowed,” explains the PhD student, “but in the highly unlikely event of someone falling over the barrier, the large volume of water protects them from radioactive radiation and they can be pulled out of the pool using one of the numerous lifebuoys.”

By answering the quiz questions correctly, the participants in Girls’ Day found their way to the various stops on the tour. © Laura Richter, FRM II/TUM.

By answering the quiz questions correctly, the participants in Girls’ Day found their way to the various stops on the tour. © Laura Richter, FRM II/TUM.

Blue guides and invisible radiation

At the next stop, the Neutron Guide Hall West, the participants were amazed by the many high-tech cables and the striking blue guides through which the neutrons are transported to the scientific instruments.

The tour concluded with a visit to the chemistry laboratory run by Tabea Bartelt, a chemical-technical assistant at FRM II. The girls were allowed to slip their hands into the heavy gloves of the argon-filled glove box and use a Geiger counter to measure the natural radiation from everyday objects such as granite or old clocks.

A formula for the future

It’s not that easy to get into the hand-operated box, as it is pressurised with argon gas to protect its sensitive contents from oxygen. © Laura Richter, FRM II/TUM.

It’s not that easy to get into the hand-operated box, as it is pressurised with argon gas to protect its sensitive contents from oxygen. © Laura Richter, FRM II/TUM.

As well as gaining an insight into neutron research, the visit concluded with a formula for a career in science: Bachelor’s + Master’s + PhD. Anyone wishing to work as a researcher on an instrument at the research neutron source later on will generally need a degree in a natural science subject, such as physics, chemistry or biology, and will then deepen their expertise through a PhD.

At the same time, the visit to the chemistry laboratory highlighted just how varied the paths into research are: for instance, one can undertake an apprenticeship to become a Chemical Technical Assistant (CTA), which usually lasts two years and enables practical work in the laboratory.

“Science isn’t just a job for men; it’s for everyone. That’s why everyone should have the chance to do what they want,” said one of the schoolgirls, summing up exactly what Girls’ Day aims to convey.