Karin Hain

Karin Hain is an Associate Professor at the University of Vienna's Faculty of Physics, specializing in Isotope Physics. Her research focuses on advanced isotope analysis using Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS), with applications in environmental science, nuclear forensics, and Anthropocene studies. She leads projects like "Preparation of a 'spike' for the determination of 237Np" and contributes to "PANIONS: Physics and Applications of Negative IONS" as a key collaborator.

• Research Funding: Multiple projects including "Embodied Soils" (2023) and "Neptunium spikes for environmental research" (2020)
• Scientific Expertise: Uranium isotopes, radionuclide tracers, and isotope fingerprinting for pollution source identification

Research Interests: Dr. Hain's work bridges nuclear physics and environmental science, targeting ultra-trace analysis of long-lived radionuclides like 236U and 233U. Her projects examine:

• Nuclear reprocessing plant impacts on marine and coastal ecosystems
• Anthropocene stratigraphic markers in urban and riverine sediments
• Clay mineral barriers for nuclear waste containment
• Isobar suppression techniques in AMS for improved isotopic detection

Recent Publications (2023-2025) reveal expertise in environmental uranium geochemistry, with emphasis on isotopic ratio signatures (233U/236U) for distinguishing civil nuclear emissions from weapons fallout. Her work appears in journals like Environmental Science and Technology and Heliyon, often addressing radioactive contamination pathways and metrology standards.

Scientific Awards:

• Best Postdoc Oral Presentation (2017)
• Fritz Kohlrausch-Preis (2021)

Academic Activities: Regular presenter at international conferences including "Science to Science" lectures (2024-2025) on AMS applications for environmental tracers and uranium transport mechanisms in geological media.