Ampliação das funcionalidades de um visualizador gráfico 3D do Observatório Pierre Auger
O Observatório Pierre Auger, na Argentina, consiste na maior experiência do mundo dedicada à detecção de raios cósmicos de energia extrema. No Verão passado, um grupo de estagiários desenvolveu um visualizador gráfico 3D do Observatório que está a ser utilizado para divulgação e análise de dados. Neste estágio irão ser desenvolvidas novas funcionalidades do visualizador, o que implicará um estudo detalhado da física associada ao desenvolvimento dos chuveiros atmosféricos extensos de partículas.
Experiência : Auger/ECO
Local : Braga
Supervisor(s) : Raul Sarmento, Henrique Carvalho (raul@lip.pt)
Vagas : 2
Duração/Datas : 8-29 de Julho de 2019
Explorar os dados públicos do Observatório Pierre Auger
A colaboração internacional que gere o Observatório Pierre Auger, na Argentina, disponibilizou à comunidade 10% dos seus dados. Neste estágio será estudada a Física dos raios cósmicos de energia extrema e serão analisados os dados públicos da experiência.
Experiência : Auger
Local : Braga
Supervisor(s) : Raul Sarmento (raul@lip.pt)
Vagas : 2
Duração/Datas : 8-29 de Julho de 2019
Simulações de Monte Carlo para preparar a procura de matéria escura na experiência LZ
Um grande número de observações astronómicas baseadas em efeitos gravitacionais indicam que o 85% da matéria do nosso universo é completamente invisível. A comunidade científica acredita que esta matéria, chamada matéria escura, é feita de um novo tipo de partículas elementares ainda desconhecidas. Neste contexto, a Colaboração LZ está a construir a experiência mais sensível de sempre para estudar a existência de partículas de matéria escura com massa acima de 5 GeV. Para atingir o seu objetivo, o detector LZ precisa de controlar estritamente os níveis da radiação natural, também chamada “background” (da sua denominação em inglês) no detector. Este estágio oferece uma participação directa na experiência LZ, para contribuir na realização de um estudo de “background”. Mais concretamente, na primeira etapa o estudante receberá formação sobre o funcionamento do detector e no uso de simulações de Monte Carlo. E na segunda etapa o estudante terá oportunidade de usar simulações de Monte Carlo para estudar os níveis de “background” da experiência.
Experiência : DM/ATLAS
Local : Coimbra
Supervisor(s) : Elías López Asamar, Alexandre Lindote (easamar@coimbra.lip.pt)
Vagas : 1
Duração/Datas : 2 months
Selection of Helium nuclei using multivariate data analysis in AMS
About 10% of all cosmic particles are helium (Z=2), they are composed mainly by He3 and He4 isotopes and the ratio He3/He4 varies from 10 to 20%, as a function of magnetic rigidity. By studying AMS data, understanding the different measurements involved and their significance in the selection of cosmic ray events, one can develop a multivariate analysis framework in order to identify helium nuclei and accurately separate its isotopes. Due to the sheer amount of data and variables involved, state-of-the-art data analysis techniques are growing in popularity due to their speed and discrimination capabilities. They usually require the user to choose appropriately significant variables and to be trained using either monte-carlo events or highly pure data samples. The students are proposed to develop reduced datasets from AMS trees (known as miniDST's) and to study the data in order to identify the key observables in cosmic ray event selection (namely helium). These key variables would be used to train a neural network selection framework (based on the ROOT TMVA).This selection platform developed by the students would then serve to identify helium and its isotopes from AMS data. As an optional end-goal, students would try to estimate the time-variable helium flux from their selected events.
Experiência : AMS
Local : Lisboa
Supervisor(s) : Fernando Barão, Miguel Orcinha (migorc@lip.pt)
Vagas : 2
Duração/Datas : 2 months
Stochastic resolution of solar modulation equations
The Sun emits a continuous stream of highly conductive plasma that permeates the entire Solar system, transporting Solar magnetic field lines with it. The Solar magnetic field changes the direction and energy of cosmic-rays inside the Solar system, creating an effect known as Solar modulation. The cosmic ray flux is especially sensitive to this effect on the low energy range, up to 30 GV. The goal of this work is to explore this phenomenon in 1 and 2 dimensions (radial and polar) under a stochastic resolution approach. The students are proposed to work on the stochastic resolution of diffusion-like equations in order to get acquainted with the resolution technique and to gain knowledge in the area. After this process we want to be able to develop a 2D stochastic solution in order to master the technique and compare to the 1D finite difference method previously developed by other students.
Experiência : AMS
Local : Lisboa
Supervisor(s) : Fernando Barão, Miguel Orcinha (migorc@lip.pt)
Vagas : 2
Duração/Datas : 2 months
(pre)supernova signals in SNO+
Before a star explodes in Supernova, it starts creating more and more anti-neutrinos. In this project we will look at the first data of SNO+ and explore how well could find this signal. We will need to identify and count the radioactive backgrounds that look like the anti-neutrinos.
Experiência : SNO+
Local : Lisbon
Supervisor(s) : Sofia Andringa, Valentina Lozza (sofia@lip.pt)
Vagas : 2
Duração/Datas : 01/07-15/09
Argon transparency to neutrons
Argon becomes transparent for a specific energy, at which neutrons can travel 10 m instead of 10 cm. An experiment is being prepared to measure this effect by shooting neutrons of different energies into a long tube filled with argon. In this project we will simulate the measurement.
Experiência : DUNE
Local : Lisbon
Supervisor(s) : Sofia Andringa, Valentina Lozza (sofia@lip.pt)
Vagas : 2
Duração/Datas : 01/07-15/09
Development of novel reconstruction techniques for low-energy gamma-ray showers
At LIP we are deeply involved in the design of the next-generation gamma-ray observatory that will be built in South America to survey and monitor the Southern sky. This experiment is expected to bridge the energy gap between satellite-bourne and ground-based observations. However, the detection of gamma-ray showers at such low energy poses new challenges for the event reconstruction. During this internship, the student is expected to participate in the development of new reconstruction techniques using Monte Carlo simulations.
Experiência : LATTES
Local : Lisbon
Supervisor(s) : Ruben Conceição, Bernardo Tomé, Mário Pimenta (ruben@lip.pt)
Vagas : 2
Duração/Datas : 1/7 to 15/09. Two weeks of holidays in August (TBD).
Efficient modeling of optical photon propagation in SNO+
A major challenge of liquid scintillator experiments is the efficient reconstruction (determination of position and energy) of the physics events, where it is crucial to find a good balance of precision and speed. This project aims to implement a fast, yet robust , ray-tracing module for the propagation of optical photons that will permit to enhance the precision of the event reconstruction algorithms of the SNO+ neutrino experiment.
Experiência : SNO+
Local : Lisbon
Supervisor(s) : Nuno Barros (barros@lip.pt)
Vagas : 1
Duração/Datas : 01/07-15/09 (although will be unavailable for 2 weeks in August)
Exploring the Hidden Sector of Particle Physics at the SHiP experiment
The SHiP experiment is being designed to search for new particles, at the intensity frontier (extremely feebly interacting, relatively light and long lived particles), with the goal of explaining the origin of dark matter, the baryonic asymmetry of our Universe, neutrino masses and inflation. The selected student will perform Physics simulations of various 'Hidden Particles' with the aim of studying their kinematic properties. The last task of this work involves the rejection of background events, mimicking some of the Hidden Particle properties, by using a standard cuts procedure. Depending on the profile of the student the rejection of background events may also be performed with machine learning algorithms.
Experiência : SHiP
Local : Lisbon
Supervisor(s) : Celso Franco, Nuno Leonardo (celso@lip.pt)
Vagas : 2
Duração/Datas : flexible (approx 2 months)
Gamma-ray astrophysics with current and future detectors
The Universe in gamma-rays reveals its most mysterious and energetic processes. Stellar explosions, colliding neutron stars and matter captured by the enormous gravitational force of black holes, all lead to the production of very high energy radiation and particles that we can observe from Earth. In a worldwide effort to understand these processes, LIP participates to the development of a new instrument that will survey the gamma-ray sky. The students working in this internship will have an opportunity to detect sources, determine photon energies and infer luminosities by using data collected by the Fermi-LAT satellite. The obtained results will be used to evaluate the expected science capabilities of the new observational facilities.
Experiência : LATTES
Local : Lisbon
Supervisor(s) : Ruben Conceição, Giovanni La Mura, Mário Pimenta (ruben@lip.pt)
Vagas : 2
Duração/Datas : 1/7 to 15/09. Two weeks of holidays in August (TBD).
Multimessenger astronomy and the sources of Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays
The Pierre Auger Observatory detects thousands of cosmic rays per year,
which originate from outside the Milky Way, and it is also able to detect ultra high energy neutrinos and photons. The student will be in contact with the tools to analyse the anisotropy (arrival directions), energy and mass composition of comic rays, as well as the techniques to detect astrophysical multimessenger events (which contain either gravitational waves and/or neutrinos and/or photons) in conjunction with
other observatories and experiments around the world.
Experiência : Auger
Local : Lisbon
Supervisor(s) : Lorenzo Cazon, Ruben Conceição, Felix Riehn (cazon@lip.pt)
Vagas : 2
Duração/Datas : junho-setembro
Pattern recognition of alpha decays in SNO+
Po-210 alpha decays are expected to happen at high rate on the SNO+ vessel or near its surface, potentially creating a glowing surface. In this project we will look at identifying patterns in the scintillator light emission as a function of the distance of the alpha-decay to the vessel surface by looking at data and through MC simulations.
Experiência : SNO+
Local : Lisbon
Supervisor(s) : Valentina Lozza, Sofia Andringa (vlozza@lip.pt)
Vagas : 1
Duração/Datas : 01/07-15/09