The following UROP Projects are currently being advertised for Summer 2021:

1. Developing new sonification techniques for ultra-low frequency space plasma waves
2. Satellite measurements of power station pollution
3. Analysing large-scale numerical simulations of plasma turbulence

If you are interested in any of the projects, described in further detail below, please in the first instance email the potential supervisor enclosing a CV, statement about why you are interested in the project, and any questions you may have. The potential durations and financial support for these projects will vary, so please enquire about these with potential supervisors.

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"I'm a Space Person" Careers Postcards (applications now closed)

Supervisor: Dr. Simon Foster (simon.foster1@imperial.ac.uk) & Dr. Martin Archer (m.archer10@imperial.ac.uk)

Recent educational research has found the main issue in uptake of STEM being whether they see it as for “people like me”, with perceptions about its usefulness in careers playing a key role in this (L. Archer+, 2013, 2020). Typical one-off outreach approaches are known to have limitations in affecting STEM aspirations, whereas interventions that also target young people’s key influencers, such as parents and teachers, appear to be more successful (M.O. Archer+, 2021). The space sector incorporates a wide range of careers in space manufacturing, operations, applications and ancillary services (London Economics, 2019), however, careers information typically reinforces stereotypes that space-related jobs are only for scientists and/or are unattainable (e.g. astronaut). We therefore propose to address this through the creation of a set of space careers resources for use by teachers and parents. Space Lab is a network of excellence at Imperial College London bringing together academics whose research covers a broad range of space-related fields. It is therefore uniquely placed in facilitating the links required in the creation of a careers resource spanning the entire space sector. The project will apply and expands an existing approach developed for physics, designed to align with the Gatsby career benchmarks and highlighting to young people the personal attributes associated with different jobs. The UROP will see you research a wide variety of space-related careers, through links across Imperial’s Space Lab network, compiling their key attributes, required qualifications, and relevant curriculum links. You will also develop process and impact evaluation plans for their roll-out across local school networks and community engagement events.

This project has funding from the Physics Education Research group in the Department of Physics 

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Developing new sonification techniques for ultra-low frequency space plasma waves (applications now closed)

Supervisor: Dr. Martin Archer (m.archer10@imperial.ac.uk)

Ultra-low frequency analogues of sound waves (fluid plasma waves) in near-Earth space can have critical effects on our technology and lives e.g. they can create “killer electrons” in the radiation belts which damage or “kill” the many satellites we depend on.  One novel technique in navigating, mining, and analysing this data is through sonification, the process of converting an oscillatory time-series into audible sound. These audible datasets then lend themselves well not only to researchers but also citizen scientists. The results can also be used to bring space physics to life for the public. The internship will concern developing new tools to sonify data from numerous different space-based missions and simulations.

Skills required:

• Computer programming (e.g. C++, Matlab, Python)
• Self-motivation / independent organisation
• Audio analysis (desired)

This placement would be beneficial to someone interested in pursuing research (time series analysis fields particularly space plasma physics or audio), gaining experience in working with data and/or machine learning, or with interests in science communication and media production. This project can be undertaken remotely if required due to COVID-19 restrictions.

This project has funding from the Ogden Trust

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Satellite measurements of power station pollution (applications now closed)

Supervisor: Dr. Edward Gryspeerdt (e.gryspeerdt@imperial.ac.uk)

Coal power stations produce large amounts of sulphur dioxide. If this is not captured in 'scrubber' systems, it can have a visible impact on nearby clouds. In this project you will use satellite data to identify these (and other similar) sources of pollution across the globe.

This project has funding from the Royal Society

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Analysing large-scale numerical simulations of plasma turbulence (applications now closed)

Supervisor: Dr. Julia Stawarz (j.stawarz@imperial.ac.uk)

Highly nonlinear, turbulent dynamics play an important role in particle heating and acceleration in plasmas throughout the Universe, including those which surround the Sun and Earth. The complex nature of the fluctuations within a turbulent plasma has traditionally made turbulence a challenging problem to solve analytically and, therefore, the analysis of numerical simulations and comparison with the detailed measurements that can be made by spacecraft in the near-Earth’s plasma environment are among the most powerful tools for exploring this enigmatic problem. This project will involve analysing data from pre-existing high-performance numerical simulations modelling the behaviour of turbulence within space plasmas. The project will aim to explore the detailed behaviour of small-scale turbulent fluctuations, which will feed into and motivate ongoing research within the group on turbulence in the solar wind and Earth’s magnetosphere.

Through this project, you will:

• Develop an understanding of the nonlinear dynamics of collisionless space plasmas
• Gain experience working with the outputs from large-scale numerical simulations
• Learn how to implement techniques used to analyse complex turbulent systems
• The opportunity to work with high-resolution spacecraft observations to explore the dynamics of turbulence may also be possible if an applicant were interested.

Some experience coding in a language such as MATLAB or Python will be necessary. The project will be possible to undertake remotely if necessary due to COVID restrictions. However, the applicant will require their own computer in that case.

This project has funding from the Royal Society