The first Thorium Evening took place on March 4, 2026, during the DPG Spring Meeting SAMOP 2026 at the Helmholtz Institute Mainz. More than 60 participants from Germany, across Europe, and as far as the United States gathered to discuss the future of research oriented at thorium-229 and related aspects in and around Germany.The event was organized by our PhD candidate Jonas Stricker and Dr. Lars von der Wense, head of the NuQuant group at JGU Mainz.
© M. Feucht / Univ. Mainz
The evening began with a short introduction to thorium and its chemistry by Jonas Stricker. Peter Thirolf (LMU Munich) then gave a brief overview of the history of thorium-229 research, followed by Sandro Kraemer (KU Leuven), who highlighted recent developments and future prospects in the field.
The central part of the evening was a discussion led by Lars von der Wense on the possibility of submitting a Priority Program on thorium research to the German Research Foundation (DFG). The idea was met with strong support, and participants engaged in a lively discussion about the potential structure, which groups and institutions could participate and goals of such an initiative.
As a specific outcome, participants agreed to establish a thorium mailing list to strengthen networking within the community. There was also broad consensus that the Thorium Evening should continue in the coming years, potentially evolving into a multi-day symposium.
The event concluded with a joint dinner, during which the fruitful discussions continued. Thanks to the support of the Wilhelm and Else Heraeus Foundation, all young scientists received dinner vouchers, and all participants were given a 229Th pin as a memento of the evening.
© M. Feucht / Univ. Mainz