Programme Director
Prof Peter von Neumann-Cosel, Chair of the Workshop
Dr Zeblon Vilakazi, Director of iThemba LABS
Prof John Carter, Wits University Head of the School of Physics
Scientists and researchers
South Africa and Germany have long enjoyed strong economic and political ties but the emergence of our scientific ties over the past sixteen years or so is particularly exciting. Our respective countries first signed a science and technology cooperation agreement in 1996, with the establishment soon after of a joint research fund to support research and development projects in the areas of agricultural sciences, life sciences, earth sciences, mathematical sciences, engineering, physical sciences and health sciences. To date, more than 400 projects in excess of R80 million in research and development have been funded at research institutions, universities and industrial partners.
Although astronomy, and the Square Kilometre Array project in particular, have been dominating the science news pages of late, the less prominent but related topic of Nuclear Astrophysics, which will feature strongly at this workshop, is of increasing international interest and ties in with South Africa’s well-established research strength in nuclear science.
Carbon, iron and many other elements that feature so prominently in our daily lives, were formed in collapsing stars far greater than our sun. Models on how the elements are produced are becoming ever more sophisticated. These models can, however, only be improved with measured nuclear reaction data gathered, using equipment such as the magnetic spectrometers used by the international group assembled here today.
This workshop is part of the mutually agreed set of activities to celebrate the 2012/13 German-South Africa Year of Science. The overall theme of the Year of Science is “Enhancing Science Partnerships for Innovation and Sustainable Development”, and it provides an opportunity for both our countries to strengthen our science and technology collaboration.
The thematic areas which we agreed to focus on during the year of science include climate change, human capital development, the bio-economy, urbanisation and mega-cities, astronomy, health innovation and social sciences and humanities.
Over the course of this four-day workshop, we gather to reflect on, to celebrate and to advance the collaboration of our two countries in the field of Nuclear Spectroscopy. This North-South partnership is a fine example of how the nations of the world should work together because, in spite of the fact that Germany and South Africa have very different strengths and levels of development, this relationship is clearly a mutually beneficial one.
At this workshop we have number of experts from both our countries who will be elaborating on the technical side of the work that has been done so far. This represents the achievements we are celebrating today. And this should not be regarded as the end, but rather the beginning of a long and challenging journey which we can finish only if we travel the road together. will do this knowing that the end of any fruitful journey is the beginning of another adventure.
Without wanting to steal the thunder of the experts, I’m sure you’ll allow me a minute or two of indulgence as I trace the journey we have travelled thus far. In the early 1990s, a collaboration started at iThemba LABS with Professor John Carter from Wits, Professor Roger Fearick of the University of Cape Town (UCT) and Professors Doctor Achim Richter and Peter von Neumann-Cosel of the Institut fuer Kernphysik, Technische Hochschule, from Darmstadt in Germany. The collaboration was born out of a keen mutual interest in studying nuclear giant resonance excitation and decay.
In the beginning, the K600 Magnetic Spectrometer at iThemba LABS had one focal plane detector which covered only one third of the length of the focal plane, a far cry from what is now available on the K600.
This collaboration has now grown to include scientists from the Research Centre for Nuclear Physics in Osaka, Japan.
Work of this magnitude cannot be achieved without the vote of confidence and the generous financial investments from international institutions. Via the NRF German - South Africa Agreement, the collaboration has consequently been able to secure funds to not only continue working together, but also to purchase equipment which has improved the spectrometer. The latest funding has been the invaluable 70 000 euros from the Deutsche Forschungs Gesellschaft, matched by over R700 000 from the National Research Foundation in South Africa.
This money has gone into developing a Zero Degree Facility for the spectrometer. It encompasses building two new vertical drift chambers at iThemba Labs, and purchasing new electronics to read out the over 700 wires with the associated electronics to read out this data as well as a new data acquisition system. While some of the equipment has already been tested, the complete facility was commissioned towards the end of 2010. This made the K600 Magnetic Spectrometer and the Grand Raiden Magnetic Spectrometer at RCNP in Japan, the only facilities in the world for work at zero degrees in this energy range.
"Make things as simple as possible, but not simpler" - Albert Einste
I look forward to the highlighting of the achievements of high-resolution nuclear spectroscopy with magnetic spectrometers at this workshop. Because there is still a lot to be done, I am curious to witness the stimulation of other physics aspects that are capable of being investigated to the benefit of local students, but also to the continuation of already existing international collaborations.
I would like to draw your attention briefly to at least three of the five objectives of the German – South Africa Year of Science. These are:
- To initiate new partnerships between South African and German research institutions, universities and companies.
- To enhance the institutional cooperation between ministries, intermediary and funding organisations, in order to boost quality cooperation.
- To stimulate the interest of young scientists from both countries in co-operating more closely with their respective counterparts.
To take our collaboration to the envisaged heights, an increase in student training, including university staff for PhDs and post-doctoral programmes, needs to be further explored together with mentorship and exchange programmes.
We are confident that, particularly in this German – South Africa Year of Science, many new and exciting partnerships will emerge to enhance the quality of this worthy collaboration – a collaboration that can only serve to benefit the young and emerging scientists from our respective countries.
Given the fact that Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy helps to determine the chemical structure of a compound, I thought I might conclude by leaving you with a thought to ponder about what chemistry can ultimately mean for the future of humankind. Kenichi Fukui, the co-recipient of the 1981 Nobel Prize for Chemistry, had this to say about chemistry: “Chemistry itself knows altogether too well that – given the real fear that the scarcity of global resources and energy might threaten the unity of mankind - chemistry is in a position to make a contribution towards securing a true peace on earth.”
I thank you.
