Dr Odile Smits

My research focuses on systems that cannot be treated analytically and therefore require precise numerical approaches, particularly in the study of atomic theory.

Atomic theory provides a unique framework in which quantum, relativistic, nuclear and QED effects all play a role. I investigate how all the interactions manifest on both large scales, such as in solid-state physics, and small scales, where atomic theory is used to extract nuclear properties or probe physics beyond the Standard Model.

I am especially drawn to research in extreme regimes, where contributions such as relativistic effects are strongly enhanced, allowing established models to be tested and trends to be challenged or broken. For example, together with co-workers, I predicted that the heaviest element in the periodic table, oganesson (Z = 118), does not behave like a typical noble gas but is instead expected to be a solid at room temperature. The strong binding between atoms is in this example due to relativistic effects.

Here at UQ, my work focusses on atomic and nuclear physics, with an emphasis on muonic atoms and nuclear clocks.