The Department Of Physics And Astronomy.
Newsletter Spring 2014.
It’s been a busy few months for us here in Sheffield. We wanted to fill you in on what’s been happening. In this newsletter you’ll be able to read about some of the exciting things our students and staff have been doing, the improvements that are being made on campus and the big plans we’re making ahead of your arrival in September. If there’s anything you need in the meantime, get in touch. You’ll find our contact details on the back. We look forward to seeing you again soon. Best wishes, Nigel Clarke Head of Department
Physics and Astronomy Newsletter
Mission to Mars
Astrophysics student could be one of the first humans on the red planet Fourth-year astrophysics student Gillian Finnerty has been shortlisted from more than 200,000 people to set up the first human colony on another planet. Gillian has been selected by the $6 billion Mars One project and is now in the running to move to Mars in 2024. The 1,058 remaining applicants will be cut down to a final 24 who will start a seven-year training course in 2014. They’ll also star in a reality TV show about the project. “I want to do something significant with my life,” Gillian said. “Inhabiting another planet is the biggest step ever taken and there really is nothing more significant which I could do.” Scan the QR code on the left to hear more from Gillian 3
Physics and Astronomy Newsletter
Your career Start your physics course this year, help solve global problems next year There’s lots of ways for you to put your knowledge of physics into practice after you graduate. Now we’re setting up the £2m White Rose Industrial Physics Academy to get you started even sooner. Our graduates work in all sorts of industries, from aerospace and submarines to nuclear fusion. Now we’ve teamed up with other Yorkshire institutions to get more companies involved in our teaching and make you even more employable. Soon we’ll have industrial research projects and summer placements available to our students, as well as money to spend on the latest hi-tech lab equipment. One of our lecturers, Dr Alastair Buckley, said: “Placing physics in the context of real world problems is really exciting. This investment will allow many more of these industrial projects.” 4
Physics and Astronomy Newsletter
Higgs boson Picture tells the story of HOW Sheffield HELPED A major discovery We recently came across the picture below, which was taken at CERN on the day the Higgs boson was discovered. It shows the part that Sheffield researchers played in the discovery of the decade. Professor Dan Tovey, who leads the department’s particle physics research, also led Sheffield’s contribution to the ATLAS experiment which discovered the Higgs boson. He explained who’s who in the photo: “The guy in the yellow and white striped shirt pouring the champagne in the bottom right is Dr Christos Anastopoulos, who co-ordinated the Higgs to four lepton analysis. This was one of the two analyses which found the Higgs in ATLAS. “He got his PhD from Sheffield and was supervised by Dr Stathes Paganis, who is leaning in the left of the photo with the dark grey T-shirt on. Christos got a prestigious CERN Fellowship and has now returned to Sheffield as a Research Fellow. “You can also just make out one of our postdocs, Tulay Donszelmann – she’s the one with the dark hair, partly obscured by the TV camera.”
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Physics and Astronomy Newsletter
Students’ Union Students settling into their brand new BUILDING Our brand new students’ union has been up and running for six months now, so we thought we’d give you a look inside. As you can see, students have been getting to know the bold new layout, the revamped events and study spaces, and the huge range of places to eat and drink. Scan the QR code on the right to See how we’re settling IN
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Physics and Astronomy Newsletter
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Contact us The Department of Physics and Astronomy Hicks Building Hounsfield Road Sheffield S3 7RH United Kingdom T: 0114 222 4362 E: physics.ucas@sheffield.ac.uk W: www.sheffield.ac.uk/physics @UoSPHY