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The IBAF Meetings have been organized since 2003, every two years since 2008, by the Ion Beams Division of the French Vacuum Society (SFV), the oldest national vacuum society in the world, which celebrated its 80th anniversary in 2025.As in previous editions, IBAF 2026 will offer a rich and varied program with guest lectures, oral and poster presentations, and technical sessions. All this will be complemented by an industrial presence to promote exchanges between research and innovation. The conference will cover a wide range of topics, from ion beam instruments and techniques to the physics of ion-matter interactions, including the analysis and modification of materials, applications in the life sciences, earth and environmental sciences, and heritage sciences. More information on the IBAF2026 website

Our keynote speakers for 2026 are Professor Roosmarijn Vandenbroucke (Ghent University) and Professor Nelly Litvak (Eindhoven University of Technology). More information on the "Women in Science" website

Deadlines Opening of abstract submissions and registrations: September 15, 2025Deadline to submit indicative title and summary: November 30, 2025Deadline for final abstract submissions: May 1, 2026Early bird registration deadline: March 1, 2026 More information on the website

JuryProf. Eli THORÉ (UNamur), PresidentProf. Patrick KESTEMONT (UNamur), SecretaryProf. Ranjàna RANDRIANARIVO (Université d'Antananarivo)Dr. Valérie CORNET (UNamur)Dr. Omayma MISSAWI (UNamur)Prof. Catherine MOUNEYRAC (Université Catholique de l'Ouest)Prof. Gauthier EPPE (ULiège)SummaryThe widespread production and use of plastics have led to their continuous release into the environment. Microplastics (MPs) are now ubiquitous in aquatic ecosystems, where their bioavailability to organisms and potential entry into the food web raise serious environmental and public health concerns. Substantial progress has been made in understanding MP toxicity, and their hazardous potential is now widely acknowledged. However, MP toxicity studies remain complex, as multiple particle characteristics, such as size, shape, polymer type, and sorbed contaminants might influence both bioavailabilityTo bridge this gap, the present thesis adopted a dual, complementary approach: (i) characterizing the environmental occurrence and bioavailability of MPs, and (ii) assessing the ecological relevance of using environmentally derived MPs in in vivo toxicity experiments.Overall, this thesis provides insights into the reproductive and transgenerational effects of environmentally relevant MPs while underscoring the importance of considering particle-pollutant interactions. By combining in situ field data with in vivo laboratory experiments, it demonstrates that the use of environmentally derived MPs represents a more realistic and ecologically meaningful approach to hazard characterization. Further studies should be carried out in this same perspective to generate robust, exploitable data and contribute to establishing a comprehensive MP risk characterization.

JuryProf. Nicolas DENDONCKER (UNamur), PresidentProf. Sabine HENRY (UNamur), SecretaryDr. Sébastien DUJARDIN (UNamur)Prof. Pierre OZER (ULiège)Prof. Emmanuel TWARABAMENYE (University of Rwanda)Prof. Caroline MICHELLIER (MRAC and UCLouvain)AbstractThis research investigates community vulnerability to landslides and floods in Northwestern Rwanda, hazards that frequently interact to produce compound disasters. The research focused on understanding the institutional, social, and structural factors that shape vulnerability and adaptive capacity in this disaster-prone region. Using a mixed-methods approach at local-scale, including institutional analysis, household surveys (n = 904), and field observations, the research highlights how vulnerability is shaped by socio-economic conditions, weak institutional coordination, and limited adaptive capacity. A Contextualized Vulnerability Index (CoVI) was developed to map vulnerability patterns, revealing particularly high vulnerability in landslide-prone and dual-hazard zones. The analysis of adaptive capacity showed that while awareness of hazards is high due to lived experiences, financial constraints, and limited technical knowledge hinder communities' ability to adapt effectively. The study contributes to the literature on social vulnerability and disaster risk reduction by emphasizing the importance of locally grounded, evidence-based strategies to strengthen community resilience in hazard-prone regions.

High-Sensitivity Birefringence Mapping Using Near-Circularly Polarized Light I will describe several techniques for mapping a two-dimensional birefringence distribution, which can be classified according to the optical schemes and principles of work:Illumination geometry (transmitted light/reflected light)Image acquisition (sequential acquisition/simultaneous acquisition)Polarization control (electrically controlled variable retardance/mechanical rotation).This classification facilitates a comparative analysis of the capabilities and limitations in these methods for birefringence characterization. Polychromatic polarizing microscopy (PPM) provides unique capabilities to alternative methods. It leverages vector interference to generate vivid, full-spectrum colors at extremely low retardances, down to < 10 nm. PPM is a significant departure from conventional polarizing microscopes that rely on Newton interference, which requires retardances above 400 nm for color formation. Furthermore, PPM's color output directly reflects the orientation of the birefringent material, a feature absent in conventional microscopy where color is solely determined by retardance.Joint seminar of ILEE & NISM!The seminar is open to external people too, no need to register. More info

JuryProf. Max COLLINET (UNamur), ChairProf. Johan YANS (UNamur), secretaryProf. Flavien CHOULET (Marie and Louis Pasteur University)Dr. Alexandre FELTEN (UNamur)Prof. Mohammed BOUABDELLAH (Mohammed IV Polytechnic University)Prof. Nadine MATTIELLI (Free University of Brussels)Dr. Augustin DEKONINCK (UMons)AbstractSupergene processes are responsible for the redistribution of metals near the surface and can form economically significant mineral deposits. This PhD thesis investigates the evolution (genesis and timing) of supergene mineralization in polymetallic systems from Morocco (Anti-Atlas and Atlas) and France (Provence). The study combines field observations, petrography, geochemistry, stable isotope analyses, and experimental oxidation to provide a multiscale understanding ranging from microscopic characterization to regional geological evolution.Stable Cu and Fe isotopes show unique fractionation in each deposit, which primarily depends on the primary ore’s isotopic composition. In addition, specific minerals (e.g., arsenates) may strongly influence the Cu fractionation of later-formed minerals (e.g., malachite), which can result in highly variable Cu isotope compositions across deposits. Therefore, Cu and Fe isotopes must be considered site-specific. Experimental investigations complement geological data by quantifying the oxidation rates of pyrite and galena under various conditions. These results highlight that the timing of weathering is reproducible and consistent with natural examples studied in this thesis via (U–Th)/He and K–Ar geochronology. However, pyrite oxidation (4.3 µm/year) is faster than that of galena, which may have a catalytic effect on other sulfides in polymetallic deposits.Overall, supergene mineralization reflects combined controls from mineralogy, host rocks, fluids, climate, and tectonics. This work refines genetic models and provides new tools to describe and constrain secondary mineralization, as well as their potential impact on metallurgical processes.

Flamure Ibrahimi is a Ph.D. student in service and marketing management at the NaDI-CeRCLe Research Center at the University of Namur (Belgium) within the EMCP Faculty, under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Wafa Hammedi (University of Namur) and Prof. Dr. Linda Alkire (Texas State University). She has just been awarded the prestigious ServCollab Scholarship 2026, an international distinction that recognizes and supports doctoral students whose work falls within the field of Transformative Service Research (TSR)—doctoral projects with high impact on society and humanity.

What happens when AI knows a great deal about you? This fifth session of the “What If AI?” series explores the profiling and data collection mechanisms that enable artificial intelligence systems to predict behaviors, preferences, and decisions.Drawing on well-known examples such as the Cambridge Analytica scandal, the speakers will highlight the issues of surveillance, manipulation, and personalization. This session aims to encourage critical reflection on our tolerance for profiling and to provide tools for better protecting our privacy in an increasingly data-driven world.

Is artificial intelligence reliable? Can it make up information without us realizing it? This second session in the “What If AI?” series sheds light on the phenomenon of AI “hallucinations”—errors that can sometimes seem credible and may have significant consequences, particularly in professional settings.Drawing on real-world examples, such as reports containing false references, the speakers will explain why these errors occur, what their technical causes are, and how to detect them. An interactive activity will invite the audience to distinguish between true and false information in AI-generated responses, while exploring the limitations of solutions such as prompt engineering.The goal: to develop a critical perspective on AI responses and gain a better understanding of its limitations.

AI is often perceived as neutral and objective. But is that really the case? This third session of the “What If AI?” series examines the biases and discrimination that can be embedded in artificial intelligence systems, drawing on striking examples such as biased recruitment and judicial algorithms.Through demonstrations and interactive experiments, the session aims to debunk the myth of technological neutrality and explore ways to design more equitable and inclusive systems.

What if you confided your doubts, emotions, or sensitive information to artificial intelligence? This first session of the “What If AI?” series explores the uses of AI in personal and sometimes intimate contexts, where tools like chatbots become trusted confidants. Drawing on real-world examples—including the use of ChatGPT for psychological support or to handle confidential data—the speakers will analyze the technical inner workings of these systems as well as the legal issues related to privacy protection.The audience will be invited to discover, step by step, what lies behind an AI-generated response: which actors are involved, how data flows, and what risks this entails. Through a fun, interactive activity, everyone will be able to better understand the implications of their interactions with these tools and reflect on the boundaries that should be set.