PhD Research Projects

The Institute of Shock Physics hosts a number of PhD students who are supported by a range of sponsors including: AWE Plc, EPSRC, QinetiQ and The Royal British Legion. We have new opportunities for PhD studentships each year.

If you are interested in any of the advertised PhD projects please contact Dr. Daniel Eakins (d.eakins@imperial.ac.uk) with a CV and cover letter.

Imperial College London PhD Projects:

2015

A study of elastic precursor decay in FCC, BCC and HCP metals under shock loading D. Eakins Institute of Shock Physics
Filled - Dynamic X-ray diffraction and imaging of shocked solids D. Eakins Institute of Shock Physics
A study of the dynamic behaviour of materials fabricated through additive manufacturing methods D. Eakins Institute of Shock Physics

2014

To study the effects of load and strain-rate on biological systems WG. Proud Institute of Shock Physics/Centre for Blast Injury Studies
Improved models for materials that exhibit non-linear elastic behaviour WG. Proud Institute of Shock Physics
On the role of chemistry and microstructure on the mechanisms of dynamic yielding and failure in hexagonal materials D. Eakins Institute of Shock Physics

2013

Determination of spatial temperature variations in dynamically compressed materials D. Eakins Institute of Shock Physics
High-resolution X-ray imaging of the mesoscale during dynamic loading D. Eakins Institute of Shock Physics

2012

Anisotrophy Across the Strain Rates WG. Proud Institute of Shock Physics
Exploration of material strength at high pressure S. Bland
D. Eakins		 Institute of Shock Physics
Characterisation of shock tube  B. Proud CBIS

2011

Strain rate dependence of metals, metal alloys and amorphous metals D. Eakins Institute of Shock Physics
Ferro- and piezo-electric materials from low to high rate and temperature B. Proud Institute of Shock Physics
Exploration of phase changes at high pressures S. Bland Institute of Shock Physics

2010

The role of inter-particle shear in the shock-induced reaction of energetic materials D. Eakins Institute of Shock Physics
High-strain-rate fracture and fragmentation D. Eakins
B. Proud		 Institute of Shock Physics
Shock processes in soft condensed matter - shock biophysics K. Brown
B. Proud		 Imperial Blast Group & Institute of Shock Physics
Modelling isentropic compression and shock propogation in magnetically driven foil and liner experiments J. Chittenden MAGPIE
Numerical methods for modelling multi-phase flows on unstructured adaptive meshes: applications in impact cratering and earth sciences G. Collins Applied Modelling and Computation Group (Earth Sciences & Engineering)

2009

The shock behaviour of granular materials B. Proud Institute of Shock Physics
Development of diagnostics to study the mechanisms and kinetics of shock induced phase transformations B. Proud Institute of Shock Physics
Use of multi-mega ampere currents to drive matter into extreme states S. Bland
S. Lebedev		 MAGPIE

2008

Study of pulsed power driven jets as a kinetic driver for strong shock experiments S. Lebedev
S. Bland		 MAGPIE

UK Research Partners PhD Projects:

2010

Characterisation of the complex shock initiation of conventional and insensitive high explosives using in-material gauges P. Hazell  Cranfield University

2009

Shock propagation in complex laminate systems P. Hazell  Cranfield Univ ersity 
Multi-megabar pressure studies with diamond anvil cells  E.Gregoryanz  University of Edinburgh
A comparison of shock isentropic compression: experiment and theory J. Wark  University of Oxford
In situ study of phonons and melting in metals under extreme high-P.T. conditions  P. McMillan University College London 
Ab initio theoretical study of phonos in metals and alloys under extreme high-P.T. conditions P. McMillan
F. Cora 		 University College London