NTNU - CERN
DOKTORPROGRAM

NTNU- og CERN-forskere har samarbeidet i flere år med en lang tradisjon for å ha master- og bachelorstudenter fra NTNU i det tekniske studentprogrammet ved CERN. I 2017 bestemte de to institusjonene seg for å formalisere samarbeidet ved å signere en samarbeidsavtale. Avtalen sier at NTNU og CERN har til hensikt å samarbeide på alle domener innen vitenskap, teknologi og ingeniørfag. Videre undertegnet NTNU og CERN i 2019 en annen samarbeidsavtale om implementering av et felles doktorgradsprogram hvor partene vil samfinansiere doktorgradsstudenter. For å gjennomføre avtalen og legge til rette for felles forskningsprosjekter, har NTNU og CERN to ganger i fellesskap kunngjort slike doktorgradsposisjoner.

Dette programmet er rettet mot ingeniørfag og teknisk fysikk under samme forhold som CERN doktorgradsprogrammet. (Partikkel- og eksperimentelle fysikkstudenter som er interessert i en doktorgrad ved CERN bes kontakte de aktuelle eksperimentgruppene ved Universitetet i Bergen eller Oslo.) Prosjektledere og veiledere ved CERN som ønsker å dra nytte av dette nye programmet kan se på de felles PhD-prosjektene mellom NTNU og CERN og å sende inn et prosjektforslag før neste frist. Når prosjektene er identifisert, kan søkere søke på den utlyste stillingen ved NTNU.

Forberedelsene til en stilling på NTNU-CERN-programmet kan forklares i tre trinn:

  • Identifikasjon av prosjekter - send inn ved neste innkalling til prosjekter mellom CERN og NTNU.
  • Søknad om PhD-stilling ved NTNU for et gitt PhD-prosjekt.
  • Søknad til CERN doktorgradsprogrammet for å formelt være en PhD student ved CERN.  

Vanligvis begynner studentene med et opphold ved NTNU, så kommer de til CERN i 18-24 måneder, og går deretter tilbake til NTNU mot slutten av prosjektet for å fullføre doktorgraden. Det er en viss fleksibilitet med denne ordningen avhengig av kravene til prosjektet og kandidaten. (Detaljer kan avtales med veileder ved NTNU og CERN, så lenge man holder seg innenfor modalitetene til CERN doktorgradsprogram.)

 

PROJECTS IN PROGRESS:
 

LHC detector cooling with R744 refrigeration technology (CoolCERN)
NTNU and CERN work in close cooperation to develop a full CO2 refrigeration circuit for the ATLAS and CMS particle detectors with cooling capacities up to 300kW (ATLAS) and 600kW (CMS) at evaporating temperatures below -50°C. The silicon cells of the detectors, once cooled down, should be kept at low temperature to prevent their deterioration.

These detectors have a total cost of about 1 billion NOK, and this is why we need a primary cooling system complying with stability and reliability to keep the detectors in continuous operation, without any interruption. In addition, there is an increasing concern at CERN to meet the environmental sustainability constraints due to the European F-gas regulation and University a global consensus Norwegian of Science and Technology (Paris COP and Kigali agreement).

Project leader NTNU: Armin Hafner, Professor, Department of Energy and Process Engineering
Project leader CERN: Bart Verlaat, Technology Department

 

Mechanical and thermophysical characterization
Mechanical and thermophysical characterization at different strain rates of low-density graphitic materials, as well as characterization of pure Pb for beam intercepting devices applications.

Project leader NTNU: Filippo Berto, Professor, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
Project leader CERN: Marco Calviani, Section Leader, Deputy Head of the Sources, Targets and Interactions Group, Engineering Department

 

 

RECENTLY STARTED PROJECTS:
 

Energy-optimal control of cooling systems
The aim of the project is to investigate control approaches to ensure energy-optimal operation of cooling and ventilation applications featuring a variety of actuators. The project will exploit knowledge about the actuators’ energy usage characteristics to derive a control strategy that seeks to minimize the energy consumption of the system.

Project leader NTNU: Morten Hovd, Professor, Department of Engineering Cybernetics
Project leader CERN: Brad Schofield, Control Engineer, Beams Department

 

Diagnostics and prognostics for power electronics converters in large-scale accelerator facilities
The objective of the project is to develop an additional layer of diagnostic and prognostic functionalities integrated with the central power converter controllers at CERN and to deliver advanced design methodologies for highly reliable power converters operating at a variety of mission profiles.

Project leader NTNU: Dimosthenis Peftitsis, Associate Professor, Department of Electric Power Engineering
Project leader CERN: Konstantinos Papastergiou, Power Electronics Engineer, Electric Power Converters group, Technology Department.

 

The social impact of CERN’s technological, human, and branding capital
Social impact is a vital measurement for universities and research institutions. The impact can be related to the dissemination of knowledge and technology, e.g. applied in the industry, spin-off companies and knowledge development through students. There is a lack of knowledge about social impact. The goal of this project is to qualify and quantify the social impact of CERN’s technological, human, and branding capital, through CERN’s knowledge transfer activities.

Project leader NTNU: Øystein Widding, Professor, Department of Industrial Economics and Technology Management
Project leader CERN: Giovanni Anelli, Group Leader, Knowledge Transfer

 

 

NEW PROJECTS:

 

Hyper-redundant robots for maintenance in Big Science Facilities
To understand the needs of remote maintenance in big science facilities and to recognize the steps needed to overcome the current state of the art. To design, simulate and prototype robotic solution for dexterous remote maintenance in big science facilities.

Project leader NTNU: Kristin Y. Pettersen, Professor, Department of Engineering Cybernetics
Project leader CERN: Mario Di Castro, Section Leader, Engineering Department

 

Chirped optical laser cooling of positronium
The project will develop and use an ultraviolet short (sub-microsecond) chirped-pulsed Ti:sapphire and Alexandrite based laser system to laser cool positronium (Ps) and perform temperature characterization of the positronium cloud using Doppler velocimetry. The project will develop the basic Ti:sapphire laser system at NTNU first and will move to CERN to carry out the first laser cooling experiments with an existing Alexandrite based laser system.

Project leader NTNU: Irina Sorokina, Professor, Department of Physics
Project leader CERN: Michael Doser, Dr.,   Experimental Physics Department

 

Surface plasmons (and other surface waves) and their role in field emission and breakdown in high-field accelerating structures
The project will investigate the compelling link between the localized and strongly enhanced plasmon resonances to the enhanced field emission and breakdown phenomenon observed in high-field systems.

Project leader NTNU: Morten Kildemo, Professor, Department of Physics
Project leader CERN: Walter Wuensch, Principle Applied Physicist, Beams Department

 

For CERN related questions regarding the NTNU-CERN PhD programme, please contact:

  • Odd Øyvind Andreassen / EN
  • Nils Høimyr / IT
  • Jens Vigen / RCS

Possible open NTNU positions will be advertised at JobbNorge.