Work placements
Work placements in the Summer, even for a shorter period like 4 weeks are a smart way for you to hone your skills, learn about yourself and your aspirations and thus get more than a nice highlight on your CV.
The Liverpool Physics department offers a number of opportunities for undergraduate students, particularly those about to enter their final year.
Option 1) We plan to offer in-house internships where any UG student from UK or abroad could apply if they are meeting the criteria of the specific project. Those placements we hope to publish soon.
Option 2) We also have dedicated research project opportunities abroad for our Y3 and Y4 Liverpool physics UG.
You will travel to a different country, like Nepal, or even to CERN, where you will work for 4 weeks on a small project. And good news: Financial support will be available at a moderate level!
Interested? Please read carefully the descriptions below and contact Prof Uta Klein (Uta.Klein@liverpool.ac.uk) in case of any questions.
Please apply via email, by Monday 20.3.2023, with your application (in *pdf format) which shall include:
- Application letter for your first choice project, i.e. why would you be the best for the job, how it fits to your academic and personal journey, and also indications for the next 2 alternative projects you would be interested in. This letter is your personal statement and should be ½ A4 page, maximum 1 page.
- A short CV that also reflects on your past academic performance and your aspirations, as well as other experiences and why would those be relevant for an successful internship.
The application will be the basis of a short interview with me (Prof. Uta Klein). The interviews will be in March so that you may book flights etc. in March latest. If accepted, you will be put into contact with the supervisor and then arrange travel, accommodation, and further preparation by yourself.
Internship 1 - Nepal
Nepal Projects 1 to 4 in Kathmandu (Nepal), computational physics
Number of students: 1 student per project
Time: 5.6.-30.6.2023
Extra: Please keep an eye on Nepal travel recommendations from the UK government.
The computational condensed matter physics group at TU has fiveserver machines and about a dozen PCs. Computational tools are mainly used by the group to understand physics. The students when interacting with the group will learn mathematica. From it they can perform simple calculations to simulate simple models like the Ising model. They will get further opportunities to apply it to understand basic physics. They will further learn high level computing languages like FORTRAN and C. They will be quite helpful for them to solve many physics problems when they want quantitative answers. The computational tools we are using are widely used in physics, chemistry, material science and biological sciences. At present, they are considered basic knowledge no matter whether they opt for experimental science later on in their scientific career. The students will get an excellent learning environment as we have very good computing facilities, a computational lab and room for students to discuss themselves and with faculties. When they interact with a large number of students at the physics Department (~300 students) and in the university campus more than seven thousand students, it will really create a constructive environment to learn some computing tools as well as about Nepalese culture, traditional festivals etc. They will be also valuable to them as Nepal has a unique culture/tradition.
The visiting students will be assigned separate projects which include solving some basic science problems using the computational tools they learn or they will be involved in simulation of real physical systems.
The possible projects are below but they are not limited.
Nepal - Option 1
Alloys play an important role in the development of new materials. One of the areas in which we focus our attention is the study of different alloys like NiAl, NiGa etc. with different concentrations of nickel and other metals. We study:
(i) electronic structures of metal alloys by using density functional theoretical methods
(ii) density of states of those alloys, it includes partial density of states from different orbitals of nickel and other materials.
Nepal - Option 2
Get an idea of molecular dynamics and use it to estimate the free energy of solvation of amino acids in water. Free energy of solvation is one of the most important thermodynamic parameters. In this project the students study the Hamiltonian equations of motion for an amino acids (they choose out of 20) and study its Free energy of solvation using classical molecular dynamics techniques.
Nepal - Option 3
Study the diffusion coefficient of simple systems like heavy water at different temperatures. In this project the students study the Hamiltonian equations of motion for chosen systems and study its dynamics using classical molecular dynamics techniques.
Nepal - Option 4
Understanding the binding mechanisms of COV-2 spike protein and Human ACE2: In this project we use Molecular dynamics techniques to understand how COV-2 spike protein binds with our body’s ACE2. We study different bonding mechanisms and if possible (time permits) we estimate the free energy of binding.
Internship 2 - Mainz Project (Germany)
Host Lab: Institut für Kernphysik , Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz
Number of students: 1
Does the host request to interview the candidates? Yes
Time: 5.6.-30.6.2023
Investigation of unwanted asymmetries caused by laser-beam helicity reversal.
Main goal and objective:
Measuring parity violating electron scattering observables requires understanding the phenomena caused by the application of electro-optic modulators (Pockels-cells). Such cells are used to switch the helicity (circular polarisation) of laser-light that excites photocathodes. These, in turn, produce spin-polarised electron beams which are directed to the scattering experiment. Switching the laser-helicity reverses the electron spin and serves to measure the parity violating dependance of the scattering cross section via a “scattering rate asymmetry”.
Imperfections of the optical elements cause small contributions of linear light-polarisation which in turn create helicity-correlated electron beam parameter fluctuations. These cause so-called “false” scattering asymmetries which may become orders of magnitude larger than the parity violating asymmetry itself. A suitable compensation scheme for the unwanted optical fluctuations has to be found.
Main method:
The purpose of the work is to analyse the available literature on the subject and to make a suggestion for the arrangement of the necessary optical devices at the electron source of the new MESA accelerator in Mainz. Practical knowledge can be gained by participating at beam experiments which serve to commission MESA.
Required skills:
Thorough knowledge in classical optics, in particular polarisation phenomena. Knowledge in nonlinear optics is helpful, but not essential.
Skills learned:
Polarisation transfer in optical systems with amplitude formalism( Jones-Matrices), Laser polarisation measurement techniques
Specific reading and preparation recommendations:
Read the chapter on polarisation in E. Hecht: Optics (or book of similar scope)
Internship 3 - Lisbon Project (Portugal)
Performance studies of Deep Neural Networks algorithms.
Main goal and objective:
The identification of jets containing b-hadrons (b-jets) is an important ingredient in the physics program of the ATLAS experiment. The student will compare the performance of the flavour tagging algorithms in different simulated events and in data. The b-jet selection efficiency and rejection against light-flavour jets and c-jets will be compared for different simulations of top quark pair production and hypothetical Z' bosons decaying hadronically. In particular, the behaviour for jets with large transverse momentum will be investigated.
Main method:
Week 1- Introduction to the problem, software, documentation and tutorials.
Week 2, 3 - Analysis of the DNN performance.
Week 4 - Results. Required skills -
Some experience in programming is desirable. The codes are in Python.
Skills:
Machine learning techniques, basics of data analysis.
Any specific reading and preparation recommendations: - The student should get familiar with the ATLAS Experiment: https://atlas.cern/ . Registration in ATLAS as a student will be needed to access the repository, documentation and software tools. In order to save time, the student should register in the week before the starting of the project.
Number of students: 1 Y3 +potentially also a Y4 student with a slightly different project
Host Lab: LIP - Laboratory of Instrumentation and Experimental Particle Physics Lisbon
Schedule: 5.6.-30.6.2023 or 12.6.-7.7.23
Does the host request to interview the candidates? no
For travel advice regarding Visa, flight connections, tests and vaccinations see https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/portugal
Internship 4 - CERN Project (Switzerland)
Design of the General Parameters of the LHeC proton Quadrupoles
Main goal and objective:
Determine the focusing strength of the LheC mini beta quadrupoles for the proton beams, prepare a first design concept to combine the aperture need for the two counter rotating beams with the gradient that is needed from the bam optics point of view, discuss the concept with CERN’s magnet experts.
Main method:
Analytical calculations, beam dynamics simulations
Skills learned:
Working in an international research team, beam dynamics in storage rings, python scripts, concepts of accelerator design
Any specific reading and preparation recommendations: general introduction to accelerator physics.
Host Lab: CERN
Does the host request to interview the candidates? no
Number of students: 1
Time: 5.6.-30.6.2023
Internship 5 - Coimbra Project (Portugal)
Study of the Higgs boson at FCC
Main goal and objective:
To study the possibilities offered by the Future Circular Collider (FCC) for the study of the Higgs boson. Particular areas of interest are the Higgs couplings to heavy quarks, which may lead to the discovery of new physics connected to dark matter, CP violation effects, etc.
Main method:
Identification of sensitive observables with physical interest; analysis of simulated events (signal and dominant backgrounds) to determine the feasibility and estimate the sensitivity gained from chosen Higgs production and decay channel
Required skills:
Reasonable programming skills, knowledge of C++ preferred
Skills learned:
Event simulation and analysis using computing tools typical of particle physics experiments; gaining practice in programming for data analysis. Reading material will be provided before the project starts
Host Lab: Laboratory for Instrumentation and Particles, University of Coimbra, Portugal
Number of students: 1
Schedule: 19.6.-14.7.23
Does the host request to interview the candidates? yes
For specific travel advice regarding Visa, flight connections, tests, vaccinations and e.g. recommended governmental websites https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/portugal