PH4100 Major Project and PH4110 Research Review
In the last two weeks of term you need to make your choices
for supervisor for both the research review an the major
project.
This session:
• Talk about the mechanics / timetable of choosing, plus what
do the projects entail.
• Introduction to the library services by Leanne Workman
(Liaison Librarian for Physics)
MAY 2017
PH4100 Major Project and PH4110 Research Review
Important Dates:
•Today: Possible titles/supervisors for Research Review to be
circulated to students.
• 8 pm Friday 2nd June: Students submit RR choice via
turnitin.
•Monday 5th June: Research Review Allocation distributed to
students. Research Review begins, arrange first tutorial for RR
before end of term. (In person, phone, skype, email exchange)
•Friday 9th June: Submit brief agreed title + abstract +
suggested first paper to read for RR.
•Friday 9th June: Submit your choices for the Major Project
which will be allocated at the beginning of the Autumn term.
MAY 2017
PH4100 Major Project and PH4110 Research Review
Enrol for the Research Review PH4110 at https://www.turnitinuk.com,
Class ID: 3495305
Enrolment Key: PH4110-2017
Submit your three choices for Research Review supervisors by 8 pm Friday 2nd
June, for allocation on Monday 5th.
Enrol for the Major Project PH4100 at https://www.turnitinuk.com,
Class ID: 3495306
Enrolment Key: PH4100-2017
Submit your three choices for Major project supervisors by 8pm Friday 8th June, for
allocation at the beginning of next term.
MAY 2017
PH4100 Major Project and PH4110 Research Review
List of supervisors/projects on twiki:
Supervisor (click on name for contact details)
Room
(CM-Condensed Matter, PP - Particle Physics, As-Astro, ExpExpermental, Th-Theory)
Dr Vladimir Antonov
T117
(CM-Exp)
W159
(CM-Exp)
W153
(PP-Exp)
W259
(PP-Exp)
Prof Oleg Astafiev
Dr Tracey Berry
Dr Veronique Boisvert
Prof. Stewart Boogert
W251
(PP-Exp), (As-Exp/Th)
W054
(CM-Exp)
T131
(CM-Exp/Th)
Dr Andrew Casey
Prof Brian Cowan
Prof Glen Cowan
W262
Prof Matthias Eschrig
T104
(CM-Th)
W255
(PP-Exp)
W051
(CM-Exp)
T131
(As-Th)
T106
(CM-Th)
T103
(CM-Th)
Prof Jon Goff
Dr. John Hargreaves
Dr Andrew Ho
Dr Gregoire Ithier
W059
Dr. Asher Kaboth
W252
(PP-Exp)
W253
(PP-Exp)
Dr Nikolas Kauer
W260
(PP-Th)
W052
(CM-Exp)
W058
(CM-Exp)
Dr Chris Lusher
Prof. Phil Meeson
Prof Jocelyn Monroe
W254
(PP-Exp)
W160
(CM-Exp)
W152
(CM-Exp)
Dr James Nicholls
Dr Philipp Niklowitz
T106
(CM-Th)
W154
(CM-Th)
T109
(CM-Exp)
W155
(CM-Th)
W055
(CM-Exp)
Prof Keith Refson
Dr Xavier Rojas
Dr. Vincent Sacksteder
Prof John Saunders
Dr Giovanni Sordi
T105
Experimental Nanotechnology, Qubits
Investigating the Fabrication and Transport of a Fully Superconducting Single Electron Transistor
Searches for Extra Dimensions at ATLAS and CMS
Searches for extra dimensions at colliders (LHC/Tevatron), A Monte Carlo simulation of proton-proton collisions at sqrt(s) = 8 TeV
Top quark measurements at a future linear collider
Studies using ATLAS simulated top quark events to look for new physics models
What are the fundamental limits on accelerator energy? What other ways are there of seeing the universe apart from optical wavelengths? Gamma Ray Bursts and Their Progenitors, Gravitational
Waves: Gerneration and Detection, The effect of supermassive black holes on their host galaxies
Analysis and optimisation of tracking in Beam Delivery Simulation: BDSIM (with Dr. Laurie Nevay T245), Extracting Stellar Properties from Images of the Double Cluster (with Prof. G
Cowan), Astronomical spectroscopy: a spectral anaylsis of Pollux and Betelgeuse (with Prof. G. Cowan), Simulation Using MESA of Low to Medium Mass Stellar Evolution, Accelerator
hardware and software development (with Dr. Alexey Lyapin T245)
A review of temperature measurement below 1K using devices linked to the Boltzmann constant, What is the state of the art in force and position measurement?, How do you measure temperature
below 1 K? Redefining the Kelvin. Nems versus LIGO?
Nanoelectromechanical Systems with Novel SQUID Based Detection System, Nuclear Demagnetisation of PrNi5 in a cryogen-free envornment.
Prof. Brian Cowan is available to supervise more exotic condensed matter reviews if you have a topic that interests him.
No Project
Accretion disks in astrophysics, Cosmic Magnetic Fields from Galactic Out Flows, Kepler and the Search for Habitable exoplanets, The Mars Orbiter search for water.
Stellar Spectroscopy: The dominant broadening mechanism of Pollux and Betelgeuse. (withProf. S. Boogert), Hertzsprung Russel Diagram of the Double Cluster (with Dr. S. Boogert)
Topological Insulators
BEC of the ideal gas and the excitation spectrum of the weakly interacting Bose-gas
Dream beams from desktop accelerators: why not laser wakefield acceleration?, The Stellarator Power Plant, The Polywell, Particle Accelerators in Cancer Therapy
Radio Frequency Quadrupole Bead Pull Measurements for the FETS Accelerator
Experimental Condensed Matter Physics, Quantum Matter (Neutron Scattering, X-ray)
Battery Materials: Single Crystal Structural Study of Lithium Lanthanum Titanate, Growth and Characterisation of Spin Ice Compound Ho2Ti2O7
Not available for review
Kaluza-Klein Cosmology, R cosmologies at both very early and very late times, Possible Inflation (and graceful exit) at early times, Alternative Field Equations of General Relativity and
resulting cosmologies
Not available for review
Constitutive equations for viscoelastic and non-Newtonian behaviour of liquids
Exploring Thermal Equilibrium and Non-Equilibrium in Finite Quantum Systems, Search for Supersolid 4He
Phase Diagram of a 1D Simple Supersolid
Which tasks can be performed more efficiently using a quantum computer? An introduction to quantum computation
How does irreversibility at macroscopic scale emerge from the reversible quantum evolution at microscopic scale? Numerical project (python, C) on the thermalisation of quantum
systems.
Neutrino Physics
Obtaining the Paschencurves for argon and CF4 and running simulations using GENIE
Miniature piroelectric accelerators, Stimulated Smith-Purcell effect from relativistic charged particles
Investigation of electromagnetic radiation generated by charged particle beams, The Optical Properties of complex media in the Terahertz Frequency Range: simulations and
experiment
The Search for Higgs bosons in the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model and beyond, LHC phenomenology
Constraining the Higgs boson decay width using the H -> WW off-shell region, LHC phenomenology
SQUID-based Ultra-Low Field Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Application of Magnetic Nanoparticles in Bio-medicine, MRI, fMRI and Low field NMR in Neuronal Imaging
SQUID NMR Measurements on Bulk Metals
Pulse tube cooler design and applications. Can they be made more efficient?
1. The construction and characterisation of maximal quality factor superconducting co-planar waveguide and 3d cavity resonators. 2. A design study of pulse tube coolers
1) Can sterile neutrinos be the dark matter? 2) Are There Extra Dimensions? (If Yes, Can We Detect them with Ortho-positronium?
Searching for Sterile Neutrino Dark Matter in the DEAP-3600 Dark Matter Detector, Measurement of Correlated Photo-sensor Noise in Silicon Photodetectors (with Dr. J. Walding
W258), Commissioning a New Particle Detector Technology: the High Pressure Time Projection Chamber
Experimental Nanotechnology, quantum Hall effects, graphene, mesoscopic physics , The Quantum Hall Effect
One-dimensional devices, measurements and modelling (experiments and simulation), Study of Ohmic Contacts in Gallium Arsenide Based 2D Electron Gas Systems,
What are the current developments in unconventional and high-temperature superconductivity?, Which are the latest scenarios of quantum criticality associated with magnetic phase transitions? On
the stability of Ferromagnetic Quantum Critical Points
Quantum Criticality in Unconventional superconductors, Magnetically Modulated Phase of NbFe2
Quantum phase transitions
Quantum phase transitions in spin chains coupled to bosons
Condensed Matter Theory
Investigating Vacancy Superstructures in Sodium Titanate using Density Functional Theory
(CM-Exp)
Dr Pavel Karataev
Dr Anna Posazhennikova
Suggested/ Previous Major Project Titles
Nanofabrication and study of sensitive superconducting magnetometer, Spectroscopy of semiconductor quantum dots using FTS system, Domain Wall Behaviour and the Planar Hall E
ect studied in L-Shaped Permalloy Nanostructures.
(PP-Exp), (As-Exp/Th)
Dr Stephen Gibson
Prof. David Heyes
Suggested/Previous Research Review Titles
Realization of the Ampere Using Single-Electron Pumps, Progress in graphene technology, GaN in application to high efficiency light sources, Spin qubit in semiconductor quantum dots and wires.
Design and modelling of a superfluid nanomechanical resonator coupled to a superconducting microwave cavity
Superfluid optomechanics within the nanofluidic environment
Not available for review
Calculations of Electrical Transport in Topological Insulators
Potential Superfluidity of a 3He Monolayer, Experimental Condensed Matter Physics,Superfluids, Ultra Low Temperatures
Condensed Matter Experimental
Strongly correlated electron systems and phase transitions: metal-insulator transitions, magnetic phase transitions, complex oxides, heavy fermions, high Tc superconductors, non-Fermi liquids.
Statistical Mechanics and Computational Physics of the Ising Model
Theoretical Particle Physics, Grand Unified Theories
Grand Unified Theories to Unify the Fundamental Forces of Nature at High Energy, Particle Collisions in the vicinity of Black Holes, Mimetic gravity
Not available for review
Frontiers of Metrology, develop ultra-low noise amplifiers for quantum electrical standards.
(CM-Th)
Dr Stephen West
W261
(PP-Th)
NPL
(CM-Exp)
Dr. Jonathon Williams
MAY 2017
PH4100 Major Project and PH4110 Research Review
How to Choose?
• Supervisor working in the area of physics that you are interested in.
• What skills are needed for the project, does the supervisor have prerequisites (certain courses, programming skills, mathematical ability)
• Project and research reviews topics can be driven by the student, need to
obtain agreement with a supervisor before submitting choice.
• Some projects (mainly astro observation) are performed in pairs, and may
require you to suggest possible partner.
• It is possible to have the same supervisor for both research review and
major project, this tends to work best for experimental projects.
• It is possible to have an external final project e.g. NPL. But you must have
an internal RHUL supervisor to monitor the progress of the project.
MAY 2017
PH4110 Research Review
What is a Research Review?
• The research review is a critical look at the existing research that is
significant to the topic you have chosen. (It is not a combination of facts
found in text books)
• Although you need to summarize relevant research, it is also vital that
you evaluate this work, show the relationships between different work.
• As well as a concise description of a research paper, you need to select
what parts of the research to discuss (e.g. the methodology), show how it
relates to the other work (How are they similar? How are they different?)
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What do we already know in the immediate area concerned?
What are the characteristics of the key concepts or variables?
What are the relationships between these key concept or variables?
What are the existing theories?
Where are the inconsistencies or other shortcomings in our knowledge
and understanding?
• What are the future directions, what needs to be pursued?
MAY 2017
PH4110 Research Review
What is expected of you:
•Regular contact and discussion with your project supervisor.
(1 hour / week)
•Independent study, searching for and reading source material.
Library skills course, online journals and inter-library loans.
•Submission of, up to 300 word, abstract describing review
topic. Agreed by supervisor, Fri 9th June, plus the title of at
least one paper that would form part of the review.
•Preparation of draft report, Monday Week 6, to be reviewed
by supervisor in weekly session.
•Submission of final report, Friday Week 8, via Turnitin.
•Oral Examination (Viva) of report within two weeks of
submission, to be arranged with supervisor.
MAY 2017
PH4110 Research Review
When reading papers remember why you are reading it:
•You need to summarise the work you read but you must also decide
which ideas or information are important to your research (so you can
emphasize them), and which are less important and can be covered
briefly or left out of your review. You should also look for the major
concepts, conclusions, theories, arguments etc. that underlie the work,
and look for similarities and differences with closely related work.
•Keep references in your notes on the papers you read, adding all the
references in at the end is not an efficient way to spend your time.
When writing carefully plan how you are going to structure the
information:
•You should aim to evaluate and show relationships between the work
done.
Chronological or alphabetical ordering of research papers rarely allows
the relationships to be made clear and should be avoided. It is much
better to structure in terms of methodology, experimental parameter
(e.g. sample doping, temperature range, particle accel. energy etc)
MAY 2017
PH4110 Research Review
80% on the written report, no more than 10,000 word (approx.
30 page) report on your chosen topic., this is sub-divided into
four categories:
1.Presentation of Report ~10%
2.Introduction and Background ~15%
3.Discussion and Understanding ~60%
4.Conclusion and Summary ~15%
20% on the oral examination.
MAY 2017
PH4110 Research Review
80% on the written report.
1.Presentation of Report
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Are the pages numbered?
Are figures clear and of good quality?
Are figures numbered, do they have a caption?
Are equations numbered?
Is the report logically formatted?
•Title, Abstract, Contents, Introduction, Main body of Report,
Conclusions, Bibliography.
• Is there a complete bibliography at the end of the report?
2.Introduction and Background
3.Discussion and Understanding
4.Conclusion and Summary
MAY 2017
PH4110 Research Review
80% on the written report.
1.Presentation of Report
2.Introduction and Background
•Is it clear and concise with any symbols explained?
•Is it sufficiently complete for the reader to appreciate the background
to the research review?
3.Discussion and Understanding
4.Conclusion and Summary
MAY 2017
PH4110 Research Review
80% on the written report.
1.Presentation of Report
2.Introduction and Background
3.Discussion and Understanding
•Has the student identified the appropriate literature?
•Has the student demonstrated an understanding of the physics
described in the research papers?
•Has the student been able to logically structure information from
multiple sources, identified relationships?
•Has the student correctly assigned citations to the research described?
4.Conclusion and Summary
MAY 2017
PH4110 Research Review
80% on the written report.
1.Presentation of Report
2.Introduction and Background
3.Discussion and Understanding
4.Conclusion and Summary
•Has the student reached appropriate conclusions?
•Has the student been able to concisely summarise the findings of the
review.
MAY 2017
PH4110 Research Review
Avoiding Plagiarism
•The report is submitted via Turnitin, this means that the marker
will get a report showing if sections of text have been lifted from
online resources such as Wikipedia.
•The nature of a review means that you will have information taken
from other sources, but it is vital that they are properly cited.
•It is strongly recommended that you revisit the moodle resource
on avoiding plagiarism before submitting your research review.
MAY 2017
PH4100 Major Project
Aims:
•To provide a suitable preparation for physicists engaged in project work
in industry or as research workers in any physics-related discipline.
•To provide an understanding of some techniques of research, including
the presentation of results.
•To provide the high point of the four year physics degree, which enables
students to use their scientific knowledge, their ability to plan and
execute a lengthy investigation and use all their communication skills to
describe their results.
MAY 2017
PH4100 Major Project
Guidelines for students on project marking
1) Report (80%) 10,000 word
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Student Performance and Initiative (Supervisor Only)
Presentation of the report
Introduction and Justification of Objectives
Discussion of Relevant Background
Presentation of Results
Interpretation of Results
General Conclusions and Summary
• Viva
2) Oral and poster presentations (20%)
• 5 min presentation term 1. (6%)
• Poster presentation term 2. (14%)
MAY 2017
PH4100 Major Project
Guidelines for students on project marking
Student Performance and Initiative (Supervisor Only)
• Did the student plan the project work well?
• Did the student show great skill and initiative or was a lot of help
and guidance necessary?
• Should the student have been able to achieve more in the
available time -(300 hours of which 160 hours should have been
spent doing laboratory or equivalent work)?
• How much apparatus development/construction was needed?
• Did the student need to acquire new skills - experimental or
theoretical?
MAY 2017
PH4100 Major Project
TERM 1
Monday 18 September to Friday 8 December 2017 (12 weeks)
•Deadline for agreement on project title/supervisor Friday of Week 1.
•Weekly contact with supervisor, time in lab to be arranged with
supervisor, you should start discussing with supervisor.
•Begin work on project in week commencing.
•Deadline for production of aims of project and schedule for week 3.
You must submit to AJC via turnitin a two page document agreed by your
supervisor stating clearly the aims of the project and a schedule for
completing the work including the final report.
•Mid term (date time venue tbc) tutorial on oral presentation / progress
report.
•During final week of term 5 min talk on progress of project (submit
progress report.
The progress report consists of a one page document summarising the
results obtained during the first term, at this stage with the agreement
of your supervisor you may update the schedule submitted in week 3.
You must give a 5 min powerpoint/pdf presentation of your work in the
first term (6% of total mark). Followed by a 5 min discussion and advice
session (not assessed). You are expected to produce 2-3 slides and to
speak without notes, other than that which appears on the slides.
MAY 2017
PH4100 Major Project
TERM 2
Monday 8 January to Friday 23 March 2018 (11 weeks)
•Tutorial in the first week of term with coordinator.
•Submit draft report to supervisor, approx week 6
•Submit final report via turnitin plus two copies to the office, week 9. If
working in a pair report should contain an explicit statement of what
your individual contribution to the research was.
•Oral viva on report / project to be arranged in the two weeks following
from submission of report.
•Submit pdf of A0(portrait) poster via Turnitin Mon Final week.
•Final week of term poster presentation Wed Final Week (tbc) to
department.
MAY 2017