Schools/College Work Experience

Accelerator physics of new Diamond-II beamline is studied by my computer simulation codes such as ELEGANT and Accelerator Toolbox. The program code simulates dynamics of electron beam using related physics and results in beam trajectories, beam distributions, and many related parameters. The student will learn basics of accelerator physics and work on analysing the simulation results to join technical discussion. The students applying for this project should have a basic knowledge of Python. 

The web is becoming an increasingly powerful tool to provide engaging experiences for users. In this project, students will design, create and test an interactive webpage using HTML, CSS and JavaScript. The webpage will provide information on the different instruments available at Diamond, including a map of where each instrument is located. The students applying for the project should have an interest in programming languages such as HTML, CSS and JavaScript but full training will be provided during the placement week.

At XChem, through automation, computational geekery and engineering, we believe in developing open and accessible tools to drive drug-discovery. 
In this project, you will gain drug-discovery pipeline experience – from early-stage chemistry to crystallography - working alongside XChem chemists, coding geeks and crystallographers. You will be exposed to different fields of expertise, and you will develop a better understanding of how the different scientific fields work together to drive drug-discovery.

Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) are fast digital logic devices for high-speed control and computation. They are widely used in a variety of applications including telecoms, guidance systems, high performance computing and data centres, and even stock market trading. At Diamond we use FPGAs mainly to control and diagnose the beams in our particle accelerators, and also in the acquisition of data from the beamline experiments. This project will introduce the student to the basic concepts of FPGAs, and give some understanding of how they work, how to program them, and why we use them. 

Every day we come into contact with the results of programming and we often do not appreciate the complexity of the programs that run our TVs, washing machines, phones, satnavs, cameras etc., and Diamond Light Source is no different. Without programming Diamond would not be able to run any of our experiments and advance our knowledge of the world around us. In this project you will get to test your programming skills by working in Python on Linux to create a graphical user interface to control an ssd1305 LCD screen. You will show the user a panel with buttons and input-boxes that they can use to control the display. The students applying for this project should have a basic knowledge of Python - please outline your experience in your application Supporting Statement.

The new VMXi beamline is the latest member of the MX beamline family. This fully automated beamline is dedicated in situ crystallography where the crystallisation experiment is on the beamline. The student will setup crystallisation trials in the laboratory to test various crystallisation methods, review the experiment and finally collect diffraction data on the beamline to compare the outcome. To assess the outcome we’ll be looking at diffraction images and three-dimensional protein structures.

Experiments at Diamond would not be possible without the many bespoke precision engineered components that make up our beamlines. Compliant mechanisms are designs that manipulate elastic deformation to transmit force and motion. With numerous applications ranging from nano-positioning to lunchbox lids, they offer many advantages in terms of cost, simplicity and performance compared to traditionally rigid components.
In this work experience you will be using 3D CAD software to design and prototype a potential solution for application on a beamline at Diamond. You will also be talking to scientists to gain an understanding of the design problem and the context of precision and mechatronic engineering.

At Diamond Light Source, motion systems have positioning errors as low as a distance equivalent to 10s of atoms. To achieve this level of accuracy, we use mechatronics engineering. Mechatronics involves a dynamic combination of mechanics, electronics and control systems to design the most optimal solution. It is supported by an exciting mix of hands-on testing, physics-based simulations and engineering design.
In this project, the student will learn about mechatronics engineering by conducting experiments on voice coil actuators and using the data collected to simulate a magnetically levitating motion platform – a technology currently in development at Diamond to extend the capabilities of next generation science.

Diamond has lots of machines, moving arms and automated processes that make the science happen. Safety is a critical and important element in machine design as machines and automation can be dangerous if not controlled safely. Even small motors have a lot of power and can easily produce dangerous situations. Not only the motors, but radiation, noise, vibrations and sharp objects can also be hazards. At Diamond, safety relays are the major elements of every safety system. 
When machine safety principles are applied, you will often have to build a safety circuit. Depending on the level of safety you require, various different safety circuits are necessary. Safety Relays are devices that implement safety functions. In the event of a hazard, a safety relay will work to reduce risk to an acceptable level.  They are a simple and efficient way to meet existing safety standards, resulting in safe operation for staff and equipment as well as a long service life of the equipment.
In this project the student will build a safety system and learn basics of relays, safety relays, their types, and applications.

Diamond has lots of machines, moving arms and automated processes that make the science happen. Safety is a critical and important element in machine design as machines and automation can be dangerous if not controlled safely. Even small motors have a lot of power and can easily produce dangerous situations. Not only the motors, but radiation, noise, vibrations and sharp objects can also be hazards. At Diamond, safety relays are the major elements of every safety system. 
When machine safety principles are applied, you will often have to build a safety circuit. Depending on the level of safety you require, various different safety circuits are necessary. Safety Relays are devices that implement safety functions. In the event of a hazard, a safety relay will work to reduce risk to an acceptable level.  They are a simple and efficient way to meet existing safety standards, resulting in safe operation for staff and equipment as well as a long service life of the equipment.
In this project the student will build a safety system and learn basics of relays, safety relays, their types, and applications.

Almost all of the work done at Diamond has an element of electronic control; from the particle accelerator and experimental hutches to the safety systems and offices. So it is important that these electronic systems function correctly. The students will see an overview of how some of these systems function. They will then have an opportunity to develop hardware and software skills, while designing, building and testing their own small-scale electronic Control System.

Diamond Light Source harnesses the power of electrons to produce super bright light that scientists use to study a wide range of subjects, however it is often difficult to demonstrate the processes that affect these electrons. In this project you will use your newly developed engineering skills to create a modular, light demonstration table to simulate the slowdown of electrons and the emission of light within the bending magnets and insertion devices of Diamond’s main particle accelerator. The project will involve training in mechanical 3D drawing, machining and electronics.

The Electron accelerators used to create synchrotron radiation at Diamond emit neutron and x-ray radiation which can harm living organisms when used in an unsafe way. To keep the workplace safe, Health Physics (HP) group provides a very vital role. A student working in the HP team will be involved in day to day tasks including; using radiation monitors, analysis of radiation monitoring data, environment monitoring techniques and a project to design a jig for checking the geometrical effect, linearity, sensitivity, consistency etc. of the radiation monitor.

Li-ion batteries are playing a major role in energy storage technology, finding broad applications in portable electronic devices and electric vehicles. In this project you will learn how these batteries are made, how they function and how X-rays generated at Diamond Light Source can be used to investigate changes taking place during their operation at micro and nanometre level.

Living organisms communicate with their environment. Humans, for example, can see, feel, taste, smell and hear. But, what about bacteria? How do they perceive their environment? Here at the electron Bio-Imaging Centre (eBIC) at Diamond, we are interested in such bacterial processes. We study the mechanism at the molecular level by which bacteria can sense molecules in their environment. The project aims to familiarize the students with the important steps of this research: preparing the sample (bacteria), collecting data with state-of-the-art electron microscopes and interpreting the three-dimensional structures of proteins. Get ready for a journey to the micro-world! 

The legal team at Diamond monitors legal and regulatory developments in the UK and overseas in relation to Diamond's activities, as well as providing support and advice on a range of legal matters relating to Diamond. The student will have the opportunity to get involved in live matters the legal team are dealing with, which will encompass a range of commercial law issues and provide an overview of the range of work the legal team undertakes. The work undertaken could include requests for contracts, analysing any legal or regulatory risks, communicating with Diamond staff on matters and drafting contracts.

Measuring the electron structure of a novel material using synchrotron light - the aim of this project is to perform a mini experiment, to be immerged in the real world of international scientists in order to have a flavour of what experimental science means. The activity will include sample preparation, measurements and analysis of the data.

Mechanical Engineering at Diamond involves designing cutting edge machinery, mechanisms and instruments to enable world class science.
The student will have the chance to work on a small project during which they will use the same tools and processes that the Engineering Team employ. For example Microsoft Project to create project plans/Gantt charts, 3D CAD (Creo 4) to produce part models and drawings, Finite Element Analysis (Ansys 17) to evaluate concept designs and rapid prototyping using 3D printers.

The aim of this project is to understand how bacteria can produce a greenhouse gas, nitrous oxide, from fertiliser. Bacteria use enzymes as nanofurnaces, which we study using crystallography. The students will use and analyse the resulting data to reveal beautiful 3D molecular structures, showing how iron is the key to their powerful chemistry.  

When we study the surfaces of other planets a key source of information is lab-based experimentation. Using data collected from space exploration missions we will: (i) choose a rocky or icy planetary body within our solar system; (ii) use mission data to recreate a simulated sample from its surface; (iii) using beamline I11  identify the minerals that form and characterise how they behave with temperature; (iv) compare our results to real mission data, making some conclusions about geochemical processes occurring on the surface of the planet we choose. This project will introduce general topics in Planetary Science while also giving students hands on experience with geochemical characterisation techniques.

At Diamond, engineers from varying disciplines collaborate to design complex systems needed to support the scientists and their experiments on the beamlines. This project will give the students an introduction into elements from both mechanical and electrical engineering, focusing mainly on 3D modelling, programming of microcontrollers and electronics. This will be done through the design and construction of a system that can track a light source and position a solar panel using various motor drives. At the end of the week the students will have gained the skills required to build a simple electro-mechanical system based around the Arduino microcontroller.

At beamline B07 we are interested in the top few atomic layers of materials, and especially in studying them in environments in which they are active. This project will involve depositing small clusters of atoms onto a range of substrates, and testing their performance in a custom designed reaction cell.

In this project, students will work to solve problems following software development practices albeit on a smaller scale. From requirements gathering through to deployment, working as a team using standard tools.

An electron beam travelling through air will quickly lose electrons as they collide with air molecules and lose energy or get scattered. To keep the electron beam circulating in the storage ring, the tube they travel in must be kept at a very high vacuum. Gas emitted from solids within the vacuum systems of Diamond can cause the accelerators to fail. Understanding the vacuum properties of materials used on the accelerators is of great importance to the design and running of Diamond.

As an example, the student will use a 3D printer to print out a blank flange. The student will then obtain the basic vacuum properties of this flange. The student will use a leak detector to discover the leak rate of the flange, and then test the flange for its outgassing rate, looking at the species of gases that come from it under vacuum. This project will show the student how we come to understand some of the basic vacuum properties of materials we use at Diamond.