The project topics will be individually determined in consultation with the selected students. The topics will be tailored to the student’s knowledge and skills, as well as the current needs of the experiments. All of the tasks described below allow for long-term collaboration on the ALICE project and can be further developed into diploma theses.
Currently, internships are being offered for two subsystems of the ALICE multidetector:
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ALICE-FIT (FT0, FV0, FDD)
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ALICE-FoCal (FoCal E, FoCal H)
ALICE- FIT (Fast Interaction Trigger) serves as an interaction trigger, online luminometer, indicator of the collision vertex position, and multiplicity counter. In offline mode, it provides precise collision timing for time-of-flight-based particle identification, determines centrality and the interaction plane, and measures cross sections of diffractive processes. To deliver the required functionality, the active elements of FIT use three different detector technologies grouped into five modules. Their distance from the interaction point ranges from -19.5 m to +17 m. FIT consists of three detectors: FT0, FV0, and FDD. FT0 is a key ALICE detector and must be present in every physical run. Work on this detector may involve interventions with the real detector and the possibility of serving as an on-call expert. Proposed topics:
- Preparation of a training station designed to simulate the operation of the FIT detectors’ DCS (Detector Control System). The work will take place in the laboratory using real detector components. The software used: WinCC O.A. 3.19, which will be provided by CERN.
- Implementation of ALFRED for controlling FIT detectors. Currently, the “Control Server” software is used to transmit data from the electronics to the DCS. To comply with the standards of the central ALICE multi-detector DCS, the ALFRED framework needs to be implemented.
The FoCal (Forward Calorimeter) project is a state-of-the-art detector that will soon enhance the ALICE experiment at the LHC, significantly expanding its research capabilities. The detector consists of two main components: the electromagnetic calorimeter (FoCal-E) and the hadronic calorimeter (FoCal-H). FoCal-E is composed of 20 alternating layers of thin tungsten plates and silicon sensors—18 layers feature pad sensors with a resolution of 1 cm², while two ultra-high-precision pixel layers use ALPIDE sensors with a pixel size of 30×30 μm², providing excellent spatial and energy resolution.FoCal-H is constructed from copper tubes filled with scintillating fibers, read out by silicon photomultipliers, enabling the measurement of hadrons and the isolation of photons. The entire detector will be installed 7 meters from the interaction point, in close proximity to the beam pipe made of aluminum and beryllium with very thin walls. Currently, advanced engineering work on the detector is underway. Proposed topics:
- FoCal positioning system development. The primary objective of the positioning system is to enable precise determination and adjustment of the detector’s position relative to the beam axis. The system must support accurate control of tilt angles and allow for position corrections with respect to the interaction point. Additionally, it should facilitate rapid assembly and disassembly of the device.
- FoCal-H cooling system development. The electronics responsible for signal readout from the FoCal-H detector’s active elements require stable environmental conditions for optimal performance. This project aims to design a cooling system that ensures consistent and controlled thermal conditions. The design must consider constraints imposed by other subsystems and make efficient use of available resources, such as specified coolant parameters.
- FoCal-H absorber assembly procedure development The goal of this project is to establish a comprehensive assembly procedure for the FoCal-H detector absorber. Two mechanical designs are currently under evaluation: one utilizing capillary tubes and another using plates with grooves. The finalized procedure should detail each step of the assembly process and will be validated during the FoCal-H prototype construction scheduled for this summer.
- FoCal-H readout plane assembly procedure development. The aim of this project is to develop an effective assembly procedure for the FoCal-H readout plane. The procedure should provide a detailed, step-by-step guide to assembling the readout components, ensuring reliability and reproducibility. The process will be tested and refined during the upcoming FoCal-H prototype construction phase.
