Imperial students showcase their research at Parliament event

Twenty three budding researchers from Imperial will be presenting their work at the SET for Britain event, held on 7 March 2016.

Professor James Stirling, Provost of Imperial College London, said: “It is wonderful to hear that once again Imperial has such a strong showing at SET for Britain. The event gives our early career researchers the opportunity to present their work to policymakers and influencers, which not only helps them develop their careers, but also promotes the importance of what we do to a wider audience. I congratulate all of them for their outstanding work.”

The Imperial researchers presenting their work come from the Faculties of Natural Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (see a full list of participants, right).

At the event there will be three poster exhibitions and judging sessions, each ending with a reception and prize-giving.

Marco Morrone, a postgraduate from Imperial’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, is one of the researchers presenting at the event. He is based at the LHC, which is the largest and most powerful particle collider and the biggest single machine in the world.

The LHC has recently been upgraded and further improvements are expected in the coming years. One involves increasing the number of particle collisions to learn more about the fundamental laws of physics. This increase in collision densities is likened to turning up the brightness of a light, giving the project its name ‘High Luminosity LHC’ (HL-LHC). This upgrade is expected to be completed in 2024.

As part of HL-LHC upgrade process, Morrone has developed 3D modelling technology that is helping physicists and engineers to improve the design of new beam screens. These act as shields protecting a range of components from the particles, which are travelling almost at the speed of light when they smash into each other. 

Morrone has used his 3D computer model to carry out more than 1,200 simulations to see how the beam screens will cope under different extreme conditions. His work has helped the LHC team to make improvements to beam screen designs, saving time and money. Based on Morrone’s work, the team now have prototype beam screens that they are planning to test later this year.

He said: “I really love the project. Every member of the team brings something to the collaboration. This type of 3D modelling has not been done before and it is allowing us to investigate what happens to the beam screens in extreme conditions. I was really excited to see my results. It is great to have something in your hands and say ‘this works’.”

The competition currently attracts around 500 entrants, of whom approximately 35 per cent are selected to present their work in Parliament.