Master Projects
Master Thesis Research Projects
The following Master thesis research projects are offered at Nikhef. If you are interested in one of these projects, please contact the coordinator listed with the project.
[MORE PROJECTS TO COME!]
The XENON Dark Matter Experiment: Data Analysis
The XENON collaboration is currently commissioning the XENON1T detector, soon to be the world’s most sensitive direct detection dark matter experiment, with the Nikhef group playing an important role in this work. The detector operates at the Gran Sasso underground laboratory and consists of a so-called dual-phase xenon time-projection chamber filled with 3500kg of ultra-pure xenon. Our group has an opening for a motivated MSc student to do data-analysis on this new detector. The work will consist of understanding the signals that come out of the detector and in particular focus on the so-called double scatter events. We are interested in developing methods in order to interpret the response of the detector better and are developing sophisticated statistical tools to do this. This work will include looking at data and developing new algorithms in our Python-based analysis tool.
Contact: Patrick Decowski
XAMS Dark Matter R&D Setup
The Amsterdam Dark Matter group has built an R&D xenon detector at Nikhef. The detector is a dual-phase xenon time-projection chamber and contains about 4kg of ultra-pure liquid xenon. We plan to use this detector for the development of new detection techniques (such as utilizing new photosensors) and to improve the understanding of the response of liquid xenon to various forms of radiation. The results could be directly used in the XENON experiment, the world’s most sensitive direct detection dark matter experiment at the Gran Sasso underground laboratory. We have several interesting projects for this facility. We are looking for someone who is interested in working in a laboratory on high-tech equipment, modifying the detector, taking data and analyzing the data him/herself. You will "own" this experiment.
Contact: Patrick Decowski
ATLAS : Beyond Standard Model with multiple leptons
The Standard Model of particle physics (SM) is extremely successful, but would it hold against of check of with data containing multiple leptons? Although very rare process, the production of leptons is calculated in SM with high precision. On detector side the leptons (electrons and muons) are easy to reconstruct and such a sample contains very little "non-lepton" background. This analysis has a very ambitious goal to test many final states at once, without over-tuning for a specific model. The second step would then be to test obtained results against models of composite structure of leptons or presence of heavy right handed neutrinos favored in seesaw theories. With this project, the student would gain close familiarity with modern experimental techniques (statistical analysis, SM background estimates, etc.), with Monte Carlo generators and the standard HEP analysis tools (ROOT, C++, etc.).
Contact: Olya Igonkina
KM3NeT : Reconstruction of first neutrinos in KM3NeT
The neutrino telescope KM3NeT is under construction in the Mediterranean Sea aiming to detect cosmic neutrinos. Its first string with sensitive photodetectors has been deployed end of 2015, in total 30 will be deployed til end of 2017. Already these few strings provide for the option to reconstruct in the detector the abundant muons stemming from interactions of cosmic rays with the atmosphere and to identify neutrino interactions. The performance and calibration of the detector will be evaluated also in comparison with simulations. Procedures to identify and also optimally reconstruct the directions of the muons and neutrinos will be developed to verify the performance and potential of the detector and to pave the path towards the neutrino astronomy. Programming skills are essential, mostly root and C++ will be used.
Contact: Ronald Bruijn
Neutrino mass hierarchy with KM3NeT/ORCA
Neutrinos exist in three flavors and are known to oscillate between flavors whereby the detected flavor depends on the (partly) known oscillation parameters, the mass differences, their energy and travel length. The neutrino telescope KM3NeT is planning for a dedicated set of detection units in order to pursue an oscillation measurement of an unprecedented precision using neutrinos from atmospheric interactions and with this enabling the measurement of the so far still unknown neutrino mass hierarchy. The measurement of this subtle effect requires unprecedented precision in the reconstruction and identification of the flavor, energy and direction. Various projects are available in the reconstruction and evaluation of the mass hierarchy using dedicated simulations. Programming skills are essential, mainly C++ and root will be used.
Contact: Aart Heijboer
All-flavor-neutrino analysis of ANTARES data
The ANTARES neutrino telescope has been taking data continuously since 2007. Most analyses of the data have been performed using the signature of a muon neutrino interaction whereby a long track can be reconstructed in the detector. Recent developments allowed for the first time also the reconstruction of a cascade signature in the detector at high angular resolution so that also electron and tau neutrino interactions can be detected (here these two are not distinguishable from each other). A search for neutrinos from cosmic sources on the first 6 years of data has by now been accomplished using this new reconstruction. In this project this search will be continued and exploited also on 2 more years of data for a dedicated optimized analysis of the Galactic Center to probe the possible neutrino emission from this highly interesting region. Programming skills are essential, mainly C++ and root will be used. Also other options for analyses of the ANTARES data are available.
Contact: Dorothea Samtleben