What kind of experience can you gain from working in FIU's Experimental Plasma Physics Group?

Below are examples of skills learned and practiced from graduate research in FEPP. Please speak to Dr. Boeglin regarding current and future research opportunities.

• Electrical hardware:
  • Radiation detection electronics (such as electronic amplifiers, high-speed digitizers, surface barrier detectors, etc.)
  • Cable connections for UHV applications
  • Data acquisition automation (writing programs to interface with hardware)
  • Electronic schemas/ cable block diagrams
  • Instrument Electrical Design Reviews
• General:
  • Fundamental concepts in magnetic confinement fusion and fusion plasma dynamics
  • Statistical analysis
  • Mentoring undergraduate researchers
  • Experience in creating and advising undergraduate research projects
  • Creating and giving effective technical presentations (conferences, colloquia, design reviews, group meetings)
  • Working in an international research collaboration
  • Project management
    • Running weekly research meetings
    • Detailed planning, prioritizing, monitoring, and accomplishing research goals
      • long-term instrument design goals (timescale of years)
      • short-term instrument testing and installation (timescale of months)
    • Grant budgeting, obtaining product quotes, preparing vendor paperwork, helping prepare purchase orders
    • Exporting scientific equipment domestically and internationally (insurance, freight forwarding paperwork)
• Mechanical hardware:
  • Design concepts and creating machine/ shop drawings
    • Instruments and hardware for use in ultra high vacuum (UHV) systems and general bench testing
  • Building and designing vacuum and high vacuum systems
    • Turbo and roughing pumps
    • Basic leak detection techniques
  • Graphite coating for UHV applications
  • Cleaning and installation for UHV applications
  • Instrument Mechanical Design Reviews
• Programming:
  • Python, C, C++, Fortran 95, Shell scripting (Monte Carlos simulations)
  • IDL (writing and running code to access NSTX and MAST data)
• Operating systems:
  • Mac
  • Windows (to use Solidworks and Labview)
  • Linux/Unix (to access NSTX and MAST data)
• Software:
  • LaTeX
  • Solidworks, Vectorworks (machine design and machine drawings)
  • Labview (data acqusition programming)
  • GNU Make (Monte Carlos simulations)
  • Virtual Network Computing (installing and troubleshooting servers and viewers)
  • Videoconferencing (Polycom H.323)

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-- RamonaValenzuelaPerez - 2013-09-23