DOHA - Qatar University (QU) has launched a positron beam research facility. The positron beam system uses a nuclear technique to study the nanostructure of materials.
"This facility is being used in the gas, oil and semiconductor industries, and is the only such facility available in the whole Middle Eastern region," said Dr Ilham Al Qaradawi, Associate Professor of Nuclear Physics at the University.
The positron beam facility can provide valuable information at a very early stage when the corrosion starts. Corrosion is a major long term issue in the oil and gas industries. Another important area where positron beam facilities are exploited worldwide is in the semiconductor industries, he said.
Dr Shaikha bint Jabor Al Thani, Vice President for Academic Affairs, QU, members of the math and physics department and guests from Education City and the Qatar National Research Fund were among others who attended the inaugural function.
The Qatar University physics faculty was the main initiators of this project. Dr Ilham, leader of the project collaborated with several institutions worldwide, including the University of Cape Town in South Africa and the Indira Ghandi Centre for Atomic Research, India, to complete the project. Many students from the Qatar University physics department have also worked on the project.
© The Peninsula 2008
