Proposals for Degree projects
Astronomy and Space Physics
Astrophysics is the study of the behavior, physical properties, and dynamical processes of celestial objects and phenomena. Through its study one hopes to understand the formation and evolution of the universe and all its parts. Research at the department focuses on three main areas: our solar system, stars and their environments (including exoplanets), and galaxies and cosmology. The research aims to answer questions such as:
- How and where did the atoms and molecules that make up our galaxy, our solar system and our planet form?
- What do they tell us about the early universe and the Big Bang?
- How do stars and planets form and evolve?
- Is our solar system special?
- How did stars and galaxies early in the universe differ from those today?
- How did they affect the evolution at later times?
Our division offers a range of possible bachelor- and master projects in astrophysics related to these fields of research. We have assembled a list of researchers able to supervise projects with a short description of their fields of research and interests. Please feel welcome to contact any or all of them to discuss possible projects.
Stellar Spectroscopic Models
I work on making accurate models of the light that emerges from stars like the Sun, that take into account the effects of convection in stellar atmospheres, as well as departures from local thermodynamic equilibrium. By comparing these models against real observations of stars, it is possible to infer essential properties of the stars – in particular, their chemical compositions. To a good approximation, the present-day chemical compositions of Sun-like stars reflect the compositions of the gas from which the stars formed at their respective times of birth. Thus, by studying stars of different ages and different orbits in this manner, it is also possible to learn about the history and evolution of our Galaxy and the cosmos.
I can offer projects with an emphasis on theory (understanding the physics of spectral line formation in the atmospheres of Sun-like stars), computations (developing and implementing algorithms for scientific codes; running these codes on clusters or supercomputers), and data analysis (quantitatively comparing these spectroscopic models against observational data; interpreting the results in an astrophysical context).
Contact
Atomic Astrophysics – Relativistic atomic structure and properties
Photons are the fundamental information carriers in the Universe. If we can 'understand' how they are formed, how they are affected on their travels through inter-stellar and -galactic space, and finally how to capture and record their characteristics as spectral distributions, we can learn a lot about the universe. However, without a good knowledge about how photons interact with atoms and ions it is impossible to determine fundamental properties, such as chemical compositions or temperatures, of various astrophysical objects. In my research I work with relativistic quantum mechanical models of complex atoms and ions to describe the uncharted territories in the periodic table.
One of the main astrophysical highlights of the last decade has without doubt been the indication of r-process nucleosynthesis in the kilonova ejecta following the neutron star merger gravitational-wave event on Aug 17 2017. Unlike the first five gravitational wave detections (see e.g. the Nobel Prize in physics 2017), the discovery of this signal was also confirmed by an electromagnetic counterpart. This unprecedented joint gravitational and electromagnetic observation marked a significant breakthrough in multi-messenger astronomy, opening up for a much deeper picture of astrophysical events, and thus the machinery of atomic astrophysicists presently strives harder than ever to analyze this signal.
I can offer projects on atomic physics with a focus on scientific coding, computations and many-body quantum mechanics, related to astrophysical phenomena such as the neutron star mergers or stellar atmospheres.
Contact
Stellar magnetic fields
Observations of the Sun demonstrate that stellar surfaces are far from being quiet, stable environments. Stars have rapidly evolving magnetic field and spots. They vary on many time scales, from minutes (pulsations) to decades (activity cycles). My research is focused on observing these phenomena and building theoretical models of stellar magnetism, variability, and activity, with important implications for stellar physics, effects on terrestrial climate, formation of planetary systems and the origin of life.
I offer a range of projects in studies of stellar variability, magnetic fields, and star spots. This work is coupled with our ongoing research using state of the art space instruments and largest ground-based optical telescopes.
Contact
Stellar spectroscopy
My research focuses on low-mass stars like the Sun, in particular the outer layers from which we receive stellar photons. This starlight tells us how hot and heavy such stars are and what they are made of. As low-mass stars live for billions of years, they allow us to study the chemical history of the Milky Way. We may ultimately learn when and where the elements were produced that form the basis for complex life.
I offer various projects in quantitative stellar spectroscopy, often combining advanced modelling with observations from the largest telescopes (VLT, Keck).
Contact
Meteor observations / Space Situational Awareness (SSA)
During a dark night one often spots fast-moving objects. Some of these are caused by meteoroids entering the atmosphere, and others are due to man-made satellites. In order to understand and monitor these phenomena, several camera networks across the globe perform continuous observations of the night sky. One of these networks is the Swedish Allsky Meteor Network, active since 2015 and coordinated from Uppsala.
I offer several projects related to this network, which include studies of meteors, meteor showers and/or satellites. These projects can be adapted to individual interests, and may, among others, include instrument development, calibration, automated image analysis, and orbit determinations.
Contact
Terrestrial planetary atmospheric modeling
The 3-D modeling of terrestrial exoplanetary atmospheres is critical to determining whether they reside in the habitable zone or not. We use knowledge about solar system atmospheres through time (Venus, Earth, Mars) to validate such models. We have successfully modeled the atmospheres of Proxima Centauri b, planets in the Trappist system and other hypothetical systems using ROCKE-3D. ROCKE-3D is an open source 3-D General Circulation Model whose development I lead. Together we can learn how models operate, their limitations, and how they can better inform us about the hypothetical atmospheres of exoplanetary worlds and even the ancient worlds of Venus, Earth and Mars in our own solar system. Previous Bachelors projects include looking at simulations of Proxima Centauri b, and the climate of a world with variable eccentricity.
Contact
Projects within space and plasma physics
We investigate what goes on in space using instruments we build ourselves and fly on spacecraft, ground based instruments, computer simulations and plasma theory. Also, we focus on the study of the basic small- and large-scale processes and fundamental physical principles which control the Earth's interaction with its space environment. Of particular interest are linear and non-linear dynamical processes involving space plasma and the associated exchange of energy, linear momentum, and angular momentum between plasma and radiation.
Projects related to measurements in space by satellites and interplanetary probes
X-ray Photon Science
Here you will find some suggested projects. For further information, contact the persons responsible for each project.
Eco-friendly Defect Passivation in 2D Semiconducting Materials
Since the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physics, related to the monolayer two-dimensional (2D) material graphene, the interest in similar materials has grown markedly. The discovery of 2D semiconducting materials based on transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), with the chemical structure MX2 (M=Mo, W; X=S, Se, Te), has opened up new interesting possibilities in optoelectronic devices, since they possess excellent properties well suited for optoelectronic applications, like high extinction coefficients due to the strong excitonic effects, exceptional mechanical properties, as well as chemical and thermal stability, to highlight a few. In this project, we will develop eco-friendly chemical treatments to passivate the defects of 2D material, investigate the effect with photoluminescence and Raman measurements, and charge transport measurements. We will also develop the mechanistic picture for the defect passivation with X-ray spectroscopy.
Contacts
Zhaojun Li
Venkata Kamalakar Mutta
Using X-ray imaging to determine structures of guest proteins inside a host crystal
Imaging techniques such as X-ray crystallography are used routinely to determine the structure of biomolecules. These methods take advantage of repeating units that form a crystal to obtain strong diffraction signals. Crystallization of certain proteins presents a challenge in the field and host crystals with solvent channels could be employed to obtain the crystallographic arrangement of a guest molecule in these situations. The guest molecule diffuses into the solvent channel during or after the host crystal formation. The project aims to assess the effect of location of the guest protein inside a host protein crystal, how the translation or orientation of the guest biomolecule affects the resulting diffraction signal.
Contacts
Sebastian Cardoch
Nicusor Timneanu
Seeing the making and breaking of chemical bonds with X-ray spectroscopy
Molecular bond breaking and bond formation are at the heart of molecular transformations. Understanding how to manipulate chemical bonds by breaking and making them in small and unreactive molecules such as in methane or carbon dioxide is of utmost importance for sustainable societies. This fundamental challenge in catalysis research is the basis for functionalizing the unreactive molecules into valuable compounds such as methanol. In our group, we perform time-resolved X-ray spectroscopic experiments at large-scale facilities like X-ray synchrotrons and X-ray lasers to follow such chemical reactions in real time of molecular transformations. In this project, we will investigate how specific homogeneous transition-metal catalysts mediate molecular transformations of small molecules. We will investigate how orbital interactions evolve on the relevant timescales from femtoseconds to microseconds and how they help breaking and making molecular bonds.
Contacts
Simulating fundamental processes in chemical reactions
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Theoretical modelling of a chemical reactions often offers a unique way of understanding the fundamental properties that drive it. Most chemical reactions can be simply understood in terms of changes of electronic configuration and motions of nuclei. Computational studies involving quantum-chemical approaches hence have a very high degree of success in giving new and comprehensive insight. In our group, we focus on finding new ways to use time-resolved X-ray spectroscopy to understand chemical reactions at the level of atoms and electrons and for interpretation of the X-ray spectra we use quantum-chemical simulations. In this project we will simulate the time-resolved X-ray spectroscopic signatures for the photo-initiated dynamics in transition-metal complexes at the TDDFT, ROCIS and RASSCF level of theory. Furthermore, excited state molecular dynamics and reactivity simulations of such photochemical processes will also be explored. We will learn what it is that drives the reaction with the aim to find rules for how to best convert sunlight into new molecules.
Contacts
Atmospheric Chemistry
We are interested in revealing molecular scale processes influencing the climate. The main subject of our investigations in this field are aerosols. These are particles with a wide range of diameters immersed in gas. Aerosols are released into the atmosphere in large amounts from e.g. vegetation, dust, combustion engines or sea spray. Thus, aerosols play an important role in atmospheric science since they impact the climate in various ways. On one hand they scatter sunlight as well as infrared radiation from the earth’s surface, they act as seeds for cloud condensation and they facilitate chemical reactions at their surface. All these aspects happen on a big scale in the atmosphere and are complex. Many methods nowadays used in atmospheric science do not deliver molecular-level information and thus our knowledge about processes in aerosol particles on the microscopic level is still limited. We utilize photoelectron spectroscopy to aerosol particles to obtain molecular level information about selected aspects of aerosols and thus contribute to an overall understanding of their impact on the climate.
Our experiments are usually conducted at the synchrotron light sources SOLEIL (Paris, France), BESSY II (Berlin, Germany), SIRIUS (Campinas, Brazil) and MAX IV (Lund, Sweden). The teams working on these projects consist of researchers with various skills and cultural backgrounds to cover as many aspects as possible of such a broad subject. Therefore, interested students should be open to acquire knowledge from various scientific fields during the project work and ideally have a background in chemistry, physics or a related field.
Contact
Fundamental Processes in Liquids
Our research addresses questions that are at the very basis of e.g. atmospheric chemistry, biophysics and our renewable energy related projects. This work focusses on intermolecular interactions in liquids (e.g. hydrogen bonds in water) and how they react to changes of the system like the solution of salts or varying temperatures. We aim to understand how such changes take effect on the molecular level and the tool for our investigation is photoelectron spectroscopy. This technique allows us to obtain spacial and temporal information about our samples. Thus we can investigate the surface propensity of solutes in a liquid or investigate dynamics on a femtosecond timescale. Since we strive for a holistic understanding, we also combine our experiments with investigations on clusters or molecules in the gas phase.
Our experiments usually take place at the synchrotron light sources SOLEIL, Paris (France), BESSY, Berlin (Germany), MAX IV, Lund (Sweden) or LNLS / SIRIUS, Campinas (Brazil). During the experiments we work closely together with scientists from other institutions with diverse scientific backgrounds.
Interested students ideally have a background in chemistry, physics or a related subject and should be open to acquire knowledge from other scientific fields since our projects often use methods from physics applied to questions motivated from chemistry.
Contact
Biophysics and Biochemistry
Our group addresses how biological processes work on the molecular scale and we employ photoelectron spectroscopy to obtain the desired, molecular-level information. Currently, we are working on two main topics:
- Radiation-induced damage to biologically relevant molecules
- The surface propensity of organic molecules in aqueous solutions
Radiation-induced damage
Whenever we travel in high altitude (e.g. flying in a plane) or receive an X-ray of the skeleton, we are subjected to radiation induced damage. If high-energy photons interact with matter they can trigger a multitude of reactions we currently lack detailed knowledge of. Consider two cases: A photon hits a biomolecule directly and ionizes it. The molecule may either dissociate directly or undergoes further relaxation and then breaks apart. Which of the two cases takes place? That is determined by which molecular level has been initially ionized and the structure of the molecule. However, we are currently not able to predict precisely which parameters favour one over the other process and that’s what our research focusses on.
Surface propensity of molecules
The biological relevance of the second aspect of our research, the surface propensity of biomolecules, becomes apparent when considering all the interfaces between aqueous solutions and e.g. protein surfaces or cell membranes in the body. We try to learn under which conditions ions and molecules are either repelled or drawn to these interfaces and what the driving forces for these dynamics are. By understanding these, we contribute to resolving questions about e.g. protein folding and the transfer of molecules through membranes. This aspect of our research is closely related to the fundamental properties of solutions, which is another one of our research topics.
We use synchrotron light sources in Europe and abroad for our experiments. The most commonly used synchrotron facilities by our group are SOLEIL (Paris, France), BESSY II (Berlin, Germany), MAX IV (Lund, Sweden) and SIRIUS (Campinas, Brazil). The research projects are carried out in collaboration with other researchers from all around the globe and with very different scientific backgrounds. Therefore, interested students should be open to acquire knowledge from other scientific fields but their own as part of the project work and should have a background in biology, chemistry, physics or a related field.
Contact
Catalysis and Renewable Energy
The earth receives more energy from the sun through radiation than we need – even in our energy-hungry technological society. Methods for harvesting this energy are in development but the efficient storage of the harvested energy is a major challenge. One obvious approach is to transform electrical energy into chemical energy e.g. by splitting water or carbon dioxide. In order to use these electrochemical reactions efficiently and on a large scale, we need cheap catalysts with high turnover rates and a long lifetime.
In order to develop the next generation of efficient and durable catalysts, our research group collaborates with other researchers from Uppsala University and the University of Sao Paulo (Brazil). We strive to obtain a molecular level understanding of the function of the catalysts and all the individual steps of the catalytic process. In order to achieve this we employ photoelectron spectroscopy to investigate catalysts. The sample environment during the investigation ranges from solid state samples, gaseous samples to complexes dissolved in water.
Our experiments are conducted at synchrotron light sources SOLEIL (Paris, France), BESSY II (Berlin, Germany), MAX IV (Lund, Sweden) and SIRIUS (Campinas, Brazil). The experimental teams are composed of researchers with varying professional and cultural background.
Interested students ideally have a background in chemistry, physics or a related field and should be open to acquire knowledge from other scientific areas since our projects reach across the borders of traditional scientific subjects.
Contact
Design, construction and implementation of a XUV-spectrometer for characterization and optimization of harmonic generation
Abstract
In this project you will be responsible for the design and construction of a grating based spectrometer in the XUV region. You will evaluate a couple of different design proposals, and based on your evaluation you will purchase the parts needed to construct the spectrometer. With our help you will then implement your solution in our existing experimental setup.
Contact
Molecular dynamics simulations of protein molecules in laser fields
Abstract
Simulation study of how the native atomic structure of a protein is affected as it is exposed to a laserfield. Lasers are used as optical tweezers and this study aims to understand how the electric field, the laser field, actually affects the protein structure. The project will involve learning how to use the molecular dynamics program GROMACS.
Contact
Validating water models for molecular modeling
Abstract
In molecular modeling water is often present in one way or another. There are over 50 different water models used by scientists when modeling different phenomena. This project is about comparing the physical and chemical properties of a subset of all the available models to decide which models that are good at what. The project will involve learning how to use the molecular dynamics program GROMACS and learning how to evaluate simulations.
Contact
RF-filtering and impedance matching for electron lenses used in time-of-flight spectroscopy
Abstract
We want to convert a scientific apparatus, running adequately with short X-ray pulses with a repetition rate of 1.25 MHz into an instrument that can handle the load from an X-ray source with much higher repetition rate having occasional “lone” pulses at 1.25 MHz. If you want to take part in this development (with first results already achieved) you should be ready to, together with us, develop, build and try out devices that minimizes the RF-interference due to oscillating electric fields inside our instrument.
Contact
Shockwaves in materials induced by an X-ray laser
Abstract
X-ray lasers are new types of lasers, which produce extremely intense and short X-ray pulses. In this project you will use computer simulations to study how shockwaves can be created in a material (e.g. metal) when it is hit by a focused laser beam and turns into a plasma. This will help us understand how the structure of the material changes and how to control such an extreme process.
Contact
Nanoscale Device Physics
Overall theme
Device physics forms the foundation for modern day electronic marvels. Understanding the charge and spin transport, their manipulation in new functional materials is key to the future electronic devices, energy and sensing applications. Nanoscale device Physics is an exciting area of research, where we fabricate nanoscale devices with innovative designs, through state-of-the-art nanofabrication techniques in cleanroom and perform charge/spin transport experiments to uncover the prospect of novel materials and their devices for future applications. The following is a brief outline of the current projects.
Novel graphene spintronic devices
Experimentally realized in 2004, graphene, a one atom thick crystal of carbon atoms placed in a honeycomb lattice, is a material with superlative properties and holds promise for next generation electronics. Spin of electrons, a quantum mechanical property, is responsible for magnetism in solids and forms the basis for an evolving field called ‘Spintronics’. Most successful existing applications of spintronics are the high capacity memory storage devices such as hard disks and MRAM. Research in spintronics is a way for future low power, faster electronic devices. Graphene is prime to spintronics, because it is the best known material for transporting spin information of electrons over long distances. It is anticipated to play a major role in the future of spin based devices in electronics. In this project, our aim is to investigate new spintronic devices of graphene with an aim to enhance their performance with novel device schemes like graphene devices on new substrates that have never been explored before.
Charge and spin transport in new 2D crystals
Two dimensional crystals (2D) are a new class of materials which show special properties for their confined geometry. These crystals are like atomic planes pulled out of bulk crystals having layered structure (stacks of 2D crystals). Graphene, an atomically thin semi-metal is one such crystal that is widely studied and reported in the last decade. In addition, there are semiconducting crystals such as MoS2, WS2, Black Phosphorus which are promising for future transistors, insulating crystals such as h-BN, Fluorographene promising for substrates and tunnel barrier applications, and there are other crystals with exotic properties like topological insulators such as Bi2Se3, Bi2Te3 etc. The number of materials in the 2D crystal library is increasing continuously, making the field a lot to be explored. In this project, going beyond the existing crystals, we will investigate the charge and spin transport in new/emerging 2D crystals that show long term promise for applications in nanoelectronics and spintronics.
Magnetic domain wall based devices
A magnetic domain wall separates two domains (regions in space having different directions of magnetic moment) of magnetization in a magnetic material. In the past decade a significant understanding has been developed about the manipulation of domain walls using charge or spin current and their prospect for memory and logic applications. It is now possible to engineer magnetic nanostructures with specific magnetic orientation and domain walls, which can be further manipulated by external magnetic, electrical or optical stimulus. In spite of previous developments, there is plenty of room for new developments that can form the basis for newer technologies. In this project, our aim would be to engineer magnetic nanowires with domain walls, image the domain walls using Magnetic force microscopy and manipulate them using charge and pure spin currents. The nanowires will be fabricated using the state of the art e-beam lithography technique at the Ångström Microstructure Laboratory, which will be followed by the said experiments. In the next step such magnetic structures will be integrated with non-magnetic spin current carriers such as aluminum or graphene nanowires in pursuit of novel spintronic devices.
Contact
Molecular dynamics of organic molecules on water surfaces
Abstract
The behavior of small organic molecules on water surfaces is important for atmospheric chemistry. Molecules that show surface preference have a larger possibility to interact with the surrounding atmosphere. We have studied how small organic molecules such as carboxylic acids and alcohols behave in a water/gas interphase both experimentally and using molecular dynamics. This project is focused on doing a simulation study of how the structure of different organic molecules affect the molecules surface preference. Simulations will be done using the molecular dynamics package GROMACS and will be strongly connected to experimental results from studies at synchrotron sources such as MAXlab.
Contact
High-resolution imaging of single particles using X-ray Free Electron Lasers by reducing the background scattering of gases
Structure solution from single particles such as proteins is the holy grail of structural biology. This was one of the goals in mind during the development of X-ray free electron lasers (XFELs). XFELs with their intense brilliance and pulse length on femtosecond scale mean a paradigm shift for structural biology.
Image source: Henry Chapman, CFEL. Science, 2007, 316, 1444-48.
So far high-resolution single particle imaging (SPI) has not been achieved. Compared to other methods, SPI suffers from low signal intensity, which is determined by the sample properties and the XFEL parameters. In order to improve the signal to noise ratio the sample environment must be improved. With our current setup, an electrospray aerosolizer used for sample delivery in combination with the ‘Uppsala injector’, we are able to deliver particles of 70-2000 nm diameter into the XFEL-beam.
The project aims at reducing the background noise created by various gases used for aerosol injection, by using specially a designed capillary head to reduce the mass flow of sheath gases required to maintain a Taylor cone. And to track particles down to 20 nm using Rayleigh-scattering microscopy as they exit the injector.
Interested students ideally have a background in engineering, physics or a related field and have some knowledge of coding in python not compulsory. Also, should be open to acquire knowledge from other scientific areas since our projects reach across the borders of traditional scientific subjects.
Contact
Nuclear Physics
At the Division of Nuclear Physics, there are suitable degree projects at Bachelor and Master level in experimental and theoretical hadron physics and experimental nuclear structure physics.
Most projects in hadron physics are associated with various experiments, PANDA at FAIR outside Darmstadt in Germany, WASA at Forschungszentrum Jülich in Germany, KLOE at Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati in Italy and BES3 in Beijing, China. The experiments are at different phases, from regular data collection to planning and buildup phase. This means that there is the possibility of degree projects of different types, both of theoretical and of more technical nature. The latter includes, among other things, simulations for experiment preparation, data analysis and instrumentation.
The nuclear structure experiments are performed at the accelerator laboratories GSI in Germany, LNL-INFN in Italy, GANIL in France and JYFL in Finland. Degree projects are offered in the areas of detector physics (AGATA, BELOW), as well as in Monte Carlo simulations and data analysis.
Contact
Experimental hadron physics
Tord Johansson
tord.johansson@physics.uu.se
+46 (0)18-471 3886
Theoretical hadron physics
Stefan Leupold
stefan.leupold@physics.uu.se
+46 (0)18-471 3441
Nuclear structure physics
Johan Nyberg
johan.nyberg@physics.uu.se
+46 (0)18-471 3047
Some degree projects from the last years
Experimental hadron physics
Production of the Σ0-bar hyperon in the PANDA experiment at FAIR, Gabriela Pérez Andrade, 2019 (master)
Monte Carlo Simulation of e+e- → Σ0bar Λ / Σ0bar Σ0 Reaction, Halimeh Vaheid, 2018 (master)
A measurement level module for a pellet tracking system, Jenny Regina, 2017 (master)
Monte Carlo simulations of D-mesons with extended targets in the PANDA detector, Mattias Gustafsson, 2016 (master)
Stand-alone Data Acquisition Board for optical links, Panagiotis Stamatakopoulos and Georgios Ntounas, 2015 (master)
Firmware Design and Implementation for a 14-bit Analog-to-Digital Converter to be used in the PANDA Experiment, Peter Moris, 2015 (master)
Search for the C-violating φ→ωγ decay and acceptance studies of the rare ω→l+l-π0 decay with the KLOE experiment, Walter Ikegami Andersson, 2015 (master)
Analysis of Monte Carlo data at low energies in electron-positron collider experiments using Initial State Radiation, Joachim Pettersson, 2014 (master)
Prediction for η' → π+ π- π0 γ signal, Alpaslan Gül, 2016 (bachelor)
Monte Carlo simulation study of the e+e- → Λ Λ-Bar reaction with the BESIII experiment, Forssman, Niklas 2016 (bachelor)
Investigation of Improvement of Pellet Tracking System, Sanne Torgersen and Adéle Wallin, 2015 (bachelor)
Can e+e- → ηπ+π- be detected at DAΦNE?, Viktor Thorén, 2015 (bachelor)
Monte Carlo simulation and resolution study of the η → e+e− decay in the WASA-at-COSY detector, Walter Ikegami Andersson, 2014 (bachelor)
Is it possible to detect the η' → e+e- decay?: A simulation of the η' decay from e+e- collisions, Daniel Hamnevik, 2014 (bachelor)
Vacuum calculations for hydrogen pellet targets at WASA and PANDA, Johan Löfgren, 2014 (bachelor)
Theoretical hadron physics
Dynamics of the η' meson at finite temperature, Elisabetta Perotti, 2014 (master)
Form factors of ω → µ+µ−π0 and ρ → µ+µ− and the dimuon spectrum from NA60, Per-Olov Engström, 2014 (bachelor)
Nuclear structure physics
Identication of Neutron-Rich Xe-Isotopes in PRISMA+AGATA Data, Jenny Regina, 2013 (bachelor)
Materials Physics
We mainly have experimental activities i.e. offer a variety of measurements addressing materials properties (see our research pages for an overview). There are also a number of possible tasks involving numerical simulations (e.g. light scattering or micromagnetic), or improving control programs for experimental setups.
The effect of geometric imperfections on magnetic properties
How does internal and external geometric imperfections, i.e. voids and surface roughness, influence the magnetic and electric properties of bulk materials on a macroscopic scale? Computational models, i.e. finite element models, of bulk materials are commonly set up with perfect geometry/mesh and homogeneous material properties. The material properties used, such as the hysteresis loop, are extracted from carefully controlled “perfect” specimens and do not perfectly map to the bulk materials. The aim of this project is to quantify this mapping in relation to for example void distributions and surface roughness and to generalise the effects of imperfections on resulting magnetic properties.
Contact
Simulation and fitting of polarised neutron reflectivity data
The task within this project will be to simulate and fit polarised neutron reflectivity data from EuS/TM multilayers. Recently, strong room temperature magnetisation was observed in EuS/Co multilayers. In a series of neutron scattering experiments we have collected data that can be used to estimate experimentally the extension of the magnetic polarisation in EuS. You will use a specifically developed fitting tool for reflectivity data, called GenX. Resulting data will be combined with input from x-ray circular magnetic dichroism experiments in order to provide more reliable information. This project requires some basic knowledge about computer use and optionally programming.
Contact
Magnetotransport in amorphous nanoscale films and multilayers
Developing materials and devices where the magnetic and electrical properties are linked is the subject of the relatively new field of spintronics. This project involves studying the electrical transport properties of amorphous magnetic films. Amorphous magnetic films are attractive for spintronic devices due to their high degree of uniformity and potential for tuning of magnetic and electronic properties. Yet, the mechanisms defining their electrical properties are not well understood. The project will involve measurements of resistivity, Hall effect and magnetoresistance in nanoscale films from 10 K up to room temperature. Multilayers of alternating magnetic and non-magnetic layers will also be studied.
Contact
Magneto-optic spectroscopy of advanced materials
This project is focused on the exploration of energy dependent rotation of light from surfaces. The aim is twofold: Establish spectroscopic magneto optical of few elements and secondly to explore how thick a layer has to be to give the signature corresponding to the bulk like response.
Contact
Metal hydrides
Some transition metals are known to easily take up large quantities of hydrogen on interstitial lattice sites. For bulk materials, the thermodynamics and kinetics of such systems are quite well understood. In the case of thin films, this situation changes since the hydrogen-hydrogen interaction is mediated by elasticity, which is a long range force. As a result, thin film metal hydrides show profound finite-size and proximity effects. The changes of thermodynamics and/or kinetics can be well explored by different scattering methods.
Contact
Photochromics
The possibility to alter optical properties of materials by electrical, thermic or optical stimuli offers exciting new applications. Examples range from a usage in motorcycle helmets with visors of variable transmittance providing bikers the comfort of a dark visor in sunlight and the safety of a clear visor in the dark to applications which can have a global impact on energy consumption via passive regulation of heat flux in and out of buildings reducing heating & cooling costs.
The necessary changes in optical transmission can, for many materials, be related to the concentration of hydrogen in transition metal hydrides. However, for these materials a change in hydrogen concentration is needed in order to tune the transmission of photons. For O-containing YHx a different switching mechanism is reported. The darkening of the Yttrium-oxy-hydride YOyHx is stimulated by the illumination with sunlight. This photochromic behaviour has the distinct advantage that the material can automatically regulate a close to constant transmitted intensity. In this project, we will address this class of materials systematically. Our focus will be on revealing the mechanism of the photochromic reaction and control as well as improve the properties of the films.
Contact
Magnetic liquids
Self assembly is one of the most fascinating phenomena in nature, since it can form well ordered structures on almost all length scales. The self assembly process is determined by the interaction between the constituents. Accordingly, a system offering tuneable interaction is an ideal playground for the understanding of the basic concepts of self assembly. We realize such a system by dispersing magnetic and non-magnetic particles in a ferro fluid matrix. Analysing the microscope images from such samples statistically gives quantitative information about phase formation.
Contact
Surface ordering under shear
In fluid mechanics, flow is described by the Navier–Stokes equation in the bulk and a no-slip boundary condition at the solid interface. However, recently, both experiments and theory have shown that on a microscopic scale liquids may undergo significant slip at a solid wall. The magnitude of the slip length and its relation to the relevant surface parameters on that it depends, are, presently, under intense discussion in the literature and not well understood on the nm length scale. We contribute to this issue by investigation of surface ordering in samples that show correlations on mesoscopic length scales as well as Newtonian liquids mainly by scattering techniques. In particular, the use of neutron scattering methods allows to access liquids in contact to solid substrates.
Contact
Topological interactions in polymers under shear
Complex liquids have unique flow properties, displaying behaviours between classical solids and liquids due to their broad distribution of relaxation times. The viscoelastic properties can generally be connected to the microscopic picture of the structure and dynamics of the constituents. On the microscopic scale, this information can be addressed by scattering methods and changes in the structure under shear have been investigated intensively in the past. However, experiments addressing the dynamics of complex liquids under shear are very scarce and even the structure of very high molecular mass polymer melts is not well understood since the Weissenberg effect prevents rheological experiments in a simple Couette geometry. Recently, we have designed a closed shear device specifically to fill both these gaps and performed first successful test experiments. This allows to investigate the topological interactions in highly entangled polymers under shear load systematically and in detail. The experimental results, mainly obtained from neutron small angle scattering and spin echo experiments, will be compared to theoretical expansions of the reptation model, like convective constraint release, as well as computer simulations recently performed in the group.
Contact
Magneto-plasmonics – Understanding the correlation between plasmons and magneto-optics
Plasmons are collective electronic resonances that have a huge impact on the optical properties of metallic materials and nanostructures. With optical diffractometry and ellipsometry in combination with measurements of the magneto-optical effects one has access to all optical properties of a material. With the advent of plasmonics and metamaterials one has the possibility to tune those properties by using nanostructures to control the reflectivity of the material or even the properties of the emitted light itself. This project will involve magnetic nanostructures and optical and magneto-optical measurements for characterization of magneto-plasmons.
Contact
Ion Physics
In Uppsala we conduct world-leading research with in total 4 particle accelerators for ion beam based materials research.
There are numerous possibilities to perform a degree project in the Ion Physics
group.
We are engaged in both, material research on complex systems employing energetic ion beams as well as more fundamental studies of the interaction of swift ions with matter. The continuous development of the employed methods is a driving force behind the ongoing research processes.
Contact
Daniel Primetzhofer (Associate professor, Head of Group)
Energy materials and particle accelerators
Contact
Eduardo Pitthan Filho
Hydrogen incorporation in silicon crystals studied by ion beams
Contact
Eleni Ntemou
Simulating hydrogen concentration profiles of energy materials from resonant nuclear reactions
Contact
Kristina Komander
Volatile fission-product diffusion in reactor-fuel matrices
Contact
Robert Frost
Environmental uptake of radio-nuclei relevant to the European Spallation Source (ESS)
Contact
Robert Frost
Ultralow-energy ion implantation for the modification of 2D materials
Contact
Robert Frost
Simulation of target and moderator combinations for a compact accelerator-driven neutron source
Contact
Robert Frost
Development of a muon-rejection system for the nuclear-reaction analysis station at the Tandem Laboratory
Contact
Robert Frost
Development of single-atom catalysis nanomembranes for environmental applications
Contact
Tuan Tran
Development of inorganic porous nanomembranes for environmental applications
Contact
Tuan Tran
Contact
On this page we only show a few examples. If you are interested in a visit and further discussions about ongoing and planned projects, please contact one of these people:
- Björgvin Hjörvarsson (overall responsible for the division's research program)
- Gabriella Andersson (e.g. magnetic materials, domain imaging)
- Petra Jönsson (e.g. amorphous magnetic materials, additive manufacturing, nanomagnetism)
- Vassilios Kapaklis (e.g. magnetic materials, optics, x-ray scattering)
- Gunnar Pálsson (e.g. hydrogen in metals)
- Max Wolff (e.g. hydrogen in metals, solid-liquid interfaces, neutron scattering)
Materials Theory
Below you can see a list of bachelor thesis projects that the division of Materials Theory is posting at the moment.
First principles electronic structure calculations
The students will learn to perform state-of-the-art first principles electronic structure calculations using several softwares to calculate the properties of realistic materials. The specific projects are the following.
- Calculation of force constant matrices of disordered alloys
- Optical properties of metals and semiconductors
- Electron correlations in complex oxides
- Extraction of tight binding parameters for graphene and related materials
Contact
Simulating the electron microscope
The project aims to simulate the scattering of electrons in crystal. Elastic and inelastic scattering processes in electron microscope reveal wealth of information about samples – composition, electronic and magnetic properties. It is the latter ones that will be in our focus.
Contact
New permanent magnet materials
Using calculations of the electronic structure, we will evaluate magnetic properties of selected crystals. We will focus on magnetic properties that are essential for good permanent magnet materials. For this project there is a space for more people, that could work in a team, studying different classes of materials.
Contact
Dynamics of quantum spin under non-equilibrium
The student will learn and use quantum field theoretical methods that are suitable for this type of dynamics studies. Moreover, numerical implementation and computations of the spin dynamics will be of great importance. The student can choose between making theoretical and/or numerical studies.
Contact
Other Proposals
See also the list of master thesis proposals as some of these may be suitable as bachelor projects as well.
Contact
Head of the division
Olle Eriksson
olle.eriksson@physics.uu.se
Theoretical Physics
Below you can find a list of available bachelor projects within the Division of Theoretical Physics. If your are interested in one of the proposed topics you can contact the corresponding supervisor.
However you are always welcome to come to us with your own ideas and interests. In this case you can look through the research topics of our division and contact members of the research group that interests you most. Or you can just contact any of our division members to discuss your interests.
Finally you can always take a look through the list of recently completed thesis which can also give you some ideas about your project.
Applied Nuclear Physics
The following undergraduate projects are currently available at the division of applied nuclear physics. Contact the person associated with each project for more information.
Serpent simulations of boiling water reactor (BWR) nuclear fuel
Contact
Hydrogen incorporation in silicon crystals studied by ion beams
Contact
Simulating hydrogen concentration profiles of energy materials from resonant nuclear reactions
Contact
Volatile fission-product diffusion in reactor-fuel matrices
Contact
Environmental uptake of radio-nuclei relevant to the European Spallation Source (ESS)
Contact
Ultralow-energy ion implantation for the modification of 2D materials
Contact
Simulation of target and moderator combinations for a compact accelerator-driven neutron source
Contact
Development of a muon-rejection system for the nuclear-reaction analysis station at the Tandem Laboratory
Contact
Nanoscale patterning and atomic manipulation of 2-dimensional materials
Contact
Nanoporous membranes for high efficiency filtering applications
Contact
Analysis of nuclear experiments for detector characterization
Contact
Temporal Convolutional Neural Nets as a Surrogate for Fuel Performance Codes
Contact
Characterizing silicon detectors using light ions and fission fragments
Contact
Energy materials and particle accelerators
Contact
Model calibration using deterministic sampling
Contact
To investigate the fission products in an electric field using GEANT4
Contact
Gen IV reactors and the transmutation of nuclear waste
Contact
Safety in spent nuclear fuel storage
Contact
Development of a detector system for commissioning of the NFS neutron facility and studies of neutron-induced fission
Contact
Charge exchange of highly charged ions in helium gas
Contact
Setting up a trap experiment for g-factor measurements
Contact
New Zr data libraries for Serpent criticality calculations
Contact
FREIA
Bachelor and Master projects in accelerator physics and light generation at the FREIA laboratory
FREIA is a newly built laboratory for advancing accelerator physics. We work on development of various hardware for accelerators, physics of charged particle beams and generation of light by accelerated charges. In particular, at present we are working on characterization of superconducting accelerating cavities; studying of breakdowns in accelerating structures for the Compact Linear Collider; development of efficient microwave sources for driving accelerators; dynamics of vortices in superconductors; generation of single-cycle THz radiation with a field strength in the V/Å range. We offer projects of various complexities from hard-core theoretical studies of the dynamics of vortices in superconductors and generation of single-cycle pulses of THz light to very applied developments in microwave engineering.
Master projects
Electro-magnetic design and analysis of LEnuSTORM magnet system
Superconducting magnets are the backbone of circular accelerator technology, and they are responsible for steering and focusing the particle beams inside an accelerator. In this thesis project, the student will be responsible for performing a parametric study on a unique magnet system especially designed for LEnuSTORM.
LEnuSTORM is a racetrack storage ring which will became a component of the European Spallation Source neutrino Super Beam (ESSνSB) experiment. The racetrack will store muons, and the muon- and electron-neutrinos, that result from muon decays, will be used to create a beam to measure neutrino cross-sections and look for sterile neutrinos.
The strong anisotropy of the storage ring is what makes this racetrack unique. Because LEnuSTORM produces useful neutrinos in its straight sections, the racetrack curves must be as short as possible to minimize muon waste. As a result, LEnuSTORM magnet system, used to store and steer the muon, must be compact and optimized.
The goal of the student will be to model the magnet system of the racetrack using the dedicated software RAT-GUI and to study different electro-magnetic configurations. The student will gain knowledge of superconducting magnet technology throughout the project, and the outcomes will be published in a scientific journal.
Contact
The Water Cherenkov Test Experiment at CERN in Geneva
A Water Cherenkov Test Experiment (WCTE https://cds.cern.ch/record/002712416 ) is being planned at CERN with the purpose of studying in detail the final state particles in the interactions of neutrinos with water in Water Cherenkov Detectors in neutrino-oscillation experiments like T2K in Japan ( https://t2k-experiment.org/ ), that planned for Hyper-K in Japan ( https://www.hyperk.org/ ) and that planned for ESSnuSB in Sweden ( https://essnusb.eu/ ). The final state particles will be detected and identified in a 50 m3 water tank equipped with photomultipliers on its inside walls that will measure the Cherenkov radiation generated by the different kinds of beam-particles in in the water.
The Master Thesis project will consist in taking part in the preparations of test measurements at CERN during the spring and summer 2023 for the final experiment, which will be carried out in 2024. A particular task will be the preparation of the equipment that will be used to mix in and monitor the amount of Gadolinium in the Cherenkov-detector water, which will improve the detection of neutrons. The preparations will be followed during the summer 2023 by measurements of the particle production in the Proton Synchrotron test beam in the CERN experimental hall and the analysis of the collected data and simulation of the operation of the experimental set-up.
Contacts
The cryo-cooled discharge system
A particle accelerator is a work horse of modern material science and particle physics but also helps to fight cancer or to study art and archeological artefacts. The use of the accelerators is limited to bigger research centers and larger hospitals not due to poor performance or inefficiency but rather due to their often large size and cost. One of the main reasons for the large size is phenomena of vacuum breakdowns. In simple terms a significant increase of the accelerating voltage inside the accelerator will cause an electric discharge which can destroy the machine, thus we keep the accelerator longer and stay at lower voltages.
Uppsala University together with the European Organization for Nuclear Research, CERN, is building a system with large planar electrodes for studies of the fundamental physics of high-fields in vacuum, important for material and surface science, and for development of accelerating technologies. The system will be cooled to cryogenic temperatures and operated in a wide range of temperatures.
In the project the student will work with the system commissioning at the FREIA laboratory.
The tasks include practical work with:
– control system integration
– data collection and analysis
The student will learn about how a cryo-system works. Such system comes with specific challenges for the control and the measurements we want to perform. The student will have to collect measurement data and analyze them. The results from the project will be published in a scientific journal.
Expulsion of magnetic fluxes in type-II superconductors upon the transition from a normal- to superconducting state
If a type-II superconductor is exposed to an external magnetic field upon the transition from a normal- to superconducting state, then the magnetic field gets trapped in the material and the performance of the superconductor degrades. Specifically, the residual resistance of the superconductor, which is a measure of resistance to alternating currents, decreases. In the applications of type-II superconductors such as superconducting accelerating cavities, it is vital to have the residual resistance as low as possible to minimize the heat load produced by accelerating fields in the cavity. In this project, you will study experimentally and theoretically the novel phenomenon of expulsion of magnetic fluxes by the moving superconducting phase front during fast cool down of superconducting cavities.
Contact
Coupling of slow waveguide modes to surface plasmons of a subwavelength wire
We are developing a new technique of testing accelerating cavities, in which a subwavelength wire is used to mimic a beam of charged particles. The accelerating field of the cavity couples to surface plasmons of the wire and the electromagnetic energy is transferred from the cavity to the outside world via the wire resembling the process of particle acceleration. In the project you will perform analytical calculations of plasmonic modes of the subwavelength wire, run computer simulations with the professional software ‘CST Microwave Studio’ to study the coupling of cavity modes to the plasmonic modes and participate in experimental verification of the result in our microwave laboratory.
Contact
Diffraction of single-cycle THz pulses
THz radiation is becoming increasingly important in several areas of physics, chemistry and biology because its spectral range corresponds to numerous collective excitations in multiatomic systems such as molecular rotations, DNA dynamics, spin waves, Cooper pairs and so forth. Strong single-cycle THz pulses allow engineering new dynamic states of matter and one of the spectacular examples of using THz radiation for controlling the properties of materials is the THz light-induced superconductivity. If you like mathematical challenges, then this project is for you. We will tackle the problem of diffraction of single-cycle THz pulses in free-space. Specifically, the simulations show that the spatial diffraction "results in the differentiation of the temporal profile" of a single-cycle pulse so that the pulses becomes a quasi-half-cycle. In the project we will look into the math and physics behind this phenomenon.
Contact
RF power measurement at FREIA
At the FREIA Laboratory, the general focus is on developing particle accelerator technology that later could be used in large research facilities, such as CERN, European Spallation Source (ESS)... We are presently developing a 10 kW RF power amplifier based on solid state transistors. Each transistor needs a dedicated monitoring. The work consists in developing the RF power measurement, using a SWR meter or VSWR (voltage standing wave ratio) and the Arduino microcontroller.
Contact
Electro-acoustic stability of superconducting accelerators
The purpose of an accelerating cavity is to accelerate charged particles when they traverse the cavity. Acceleration is realized through a longitudinal electric field. One can imagine the acceleration of particles as surfers riding on an ocean wave. However, there is number of physical effects that make the cavity operation difficult. One of the negative effects reducing the stability of the excited field is the deformation of cavity walls caused by an electromagnetic pressure, a so-called Lorentz force detuning. Collisions of photons with cavity walls create such pressure determined by the Poynting vector. The project is devoted to studying mechanical oscillations of a superconducting cavity caused by the Lorentz force detuning and methods of its prevention.
Contact
RF Breakdown studies for CLIC
After the successful start of the LHC accelerator at CERN, we expect many years of discoveries that could lead to better understanding of the universe. Accelerator physicists however continue to plan for future facilities where more detailed studies of particle physics secrets can be done at higher energies. CLIC, the Compact Linear Collider, is the proposed successor to the LHC. In the CLIC particles are accelerated by a very strong electric field. Unfortunately, large electric fields can lead to vacuum discharges which in turn can affect the particle beam and lead to reduced performance of the CLIC accelerator. Studies of the physics behind vacuum discharges and its effect on the beam is therefore an important issue we are investigating in Uppsala.
In this project, students will learn how to manage experimental signals in large data sets stored by the logging system. The signals must be synchronized, analysed and correlated in a data analysis program to determine what physical processes occur during the discharge. The results of these measurements will contribute to the development of theory and verification of accelerating structures by providing information about the kinematics of charged particles inside the accelerating structure.
Contact
Other ongoing future projects
If you are interested in discussing other ongoing or future projects, here is a list of contacts.
Solid state amplifier development
Accelerator physics
The CLIC accelerator project
RF amplification and transmission
Magnus Jobs
Superconducting cavities
The Neutrino Super Beam project
FREIA project leader
Accelerator physics
Quantum Matter Theory
If you are interested in a project in Quantum Matter Theory please read more on the research pages and contact one of the researchers.