Fully Funded EPSRC &College of Science PhD Scholarship: Antihydrogen formation using sympathetically cooled positrons

This scholarship is funded by Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and Swansea University's College of Science.

Start date: October 2021

Supervisors: 

• Supervisor 1: Professor Niels Madsen
• Supervisor 2: Professor Stefan Eriksson

The ALPHA antihydrogen experiment at CERN synthesises and traps antihydrogen atoms (atoms made of antimatter) in order to do precise measurements of its structure through spectroscopy and of its gravitational behaviour and compare these with those of ordinary hydrogen in an effort to unravel the mystery of why we observe no bulk antimatter in the Universe. The student will join the vibrant ALPHA experiment at CERN, so this position is full time at CERN in Geneva, Switzerland. The focus of this project will be to use laser-cooled Beryllium ions to cool the positron plasma that is used for antihydrogen formation. By cooling the positrons below that achievable by other means, the student will significantly increase the number of antihydrogen atoms trapped in the experiment and thereby increase the resolution of the measurements.

Eligibility

Candidates must have a First, Upper Second Class Honours or a Master’s degree with Merit, in a relevant discipline.

For candidates whose first language is not English, we require IELTS 6.5 (with 6.0 in each component) or equivalent. Please visit our website for a list of acceptable English language tests. We prefer candidates to have already met the English Language requirements at the point of application, although this is not a requirement.

In addition to UK students, international and EU students are eligible to apply for these studentships but should note that they may have to pay the difference between the home UKRI fee and the institutional international student fee.