Understanding the nature of the neutrino: search for neutrinoless double beta decay with the LZ detector
Neutrinoless double beta decay (NDBD) is one of the most interesting topics in modern particle physics. Its observation would be proof of new physics beyond the Standard Model (BSM), showing that neutrinos are their own antiparticles — and thus reveal their nature as the only known Majorana particles. It would also show violation of lepton number conservation, hinting that leptons play a part in the observed matter/antimatter asymmetry of the Universe. Explaining NDBD requires SM extensions which can also explain the extremely small mass of the neutrinos (6 orders of magnitude lighter than the electron). If this decay occurs through the exchange of a virtual Majorana neutrino its decay rate can be associated with a weighted average of the three neutrino masses (the so-called effective Majorana mass), which can be used to probe the (normal or inverted) neutrino mass hierarchy. Several experiments, including LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ), are searching for this decay, with the most restrictive lower limits for its half-life reaching 10^26 years (10 quadrillion times longer than the age of the Universe!). Operating since late 2021, the LZ detector was designed with the primary goal of searching for dark matter particles, but given its high sensitivity and low background it can also be used for other physics studies such as neutrinoless double beta decay of the Xe-136 isotope. In this project the students will work with LIP researchers to analyse the data collected by LZ in the last 3 years to search for this decay.

Grupo : DarkMatter
Local : Coimbra
Supervisor(s) : Alexandre Lindote / Paulo Brás
Email : alex@lip.pt
Vagas : 3
Duração/Datas : July to September

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Grupo : MuTom
Local : Lisboa
Supervisor(s) : Sofia a
Email : sofia@lip.pt
Vagas : 0
Duração/Datas : june - september

Characterisation of plastic scintillators read by SiPMs
Scintillation detectors have historically been one of the fundamental tools in instrumentation. The advent of SiPMs (Silicon Photomultipliers) has further enhanced their usefulness, making the reading of scintillation light easier and cheaper. One of the traditional uses of scintillators in instrumentation is as trigger detectors. In this internship, we propose the characterisation of different plastic scintillators, with various geometries, read out by modern SiPMs and advanced acquisition systems based on Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs). The study will focus on evaluating the efficiency and time resolution of these devices. During the internship, students will have direct contact with the instrumentation, participating in the assembly of the experimental device, including the DAQ (Data Acquisition) system, the amplification electronics and the integration of the SiPMs themselves.

Grupo : RPC
Local : Coimbra
Supervisor(s) : Alberto Blanco
Email : alberto@lip.pt
Vagas : 3
Duração/Datas : July to 15- September

Characterisation of Sealed RPC Chambers
Resistive Plate Chambers (RPCs) are gaseous detectors with high performance, especially in time resolution. Historically, they have been used in high-energy physics experiments in laboratories. Traditionally, this technology requires complex gas injection and purification systems. Recently, the LIP (Laboratório de Instrumentação e Física Experimental de Partículas) has developed a new technology of sealed RPC chambers, pioneering this breakthrough worldwide. This innovation will completely eliminate the need for a gas system, opening up new possibilities, such as use in cosmic ray experiments at remote locations. In this internship, we propose the characterisation of these detectors using a small cosmic-ray telescope equipped with sealed RPC cameras. During the internship, students will have direct contact with the instrumentation, participating in the assembly of the experimental device, including the DAQ (Data Acquisition) system, the amplifier electronics and the integration of the RPCs.

Grupo : RPC
Local : Coimbra
Supervisor(s) : Alberto Blanco
Email : alberto@lip.pt
Vagas : 3
Duração/Datas : July to 15- September

Detectores gasosos R&D
No grupo de detectores R&D trabalhamos com detectores gasosos com o intuito de melhorar as suas características ou adaptar as existentes a necessidades especificas. Com a criação de experiências de grandes dimensões, frequentes em Colaborações Internacionais, novas solicitações têm surgido relativamente ao desempenho dos contadores gasosos. É com este tema genérico que vimos propor o nosso estágio de verão. O/a aluno(a) vai aprender os princípios de funcionamento de detetores gasosos, e contactar com técnicas associadas à montagem e funcionamento destes detetores, bem como ter contacto com aplicações possíveis para os mesmos. Será assim iniciado em técnicas de vazio, manuseamento de gases, recolha e tratamento de dados, montagem de detectores, ou seja, técnicas experimentais relacionadas com detectores gasosos, bem como apoio teórico sobre o tema em estudo e o objetivo do trabalho. O/a estagiário/a será também incitado e ajudado a fazer alguma pesquisa autónoma sobre os assuntos em estudo. Pretende-se familiarizar o/a estagiário/a com técnicas laboratoriais realçando também a formação e pesquisa teóricas.

Grupo : GasDet
Local : Coimbra
Supervisor(s) : Filipa Borges, Afonso Marques
Email : filipa.borges@coimbra.lip.pt
Vagas : 2
Duração/Datas : Julho a Setembro (a combinar)

Next-Gen Detectors for Ultra-High Count Rate Neutron Science Applications
The internship will take place in the Neutron Detectors Group, at LIP in Coimbra, Portugal. The group main activity involves the development of neutron detectors, in the area of detectors for nuclear and particle physics. Neutron detection is fundamental in scientific and practical applications such as nuclear safety, material analysis, and nuclear medicine. Examples include neutron radiography for inspecting aircraft parts, detecting illicit nuclear materials, radiation monitoring, measuring soil moisture, and monitoring neutron flux in neutron capture and hadron therapies. The selected students will participate in the groups ongoing research project “Ultra-high count rate neutron detector concept with primary scintillation readout” and will be involved in both the simulation work (Monte Carlo simulations in Geant 4 and ANTS3) and in experimental tests. The main goal is to develop a new type of thermal neutron detector capable to simultaneously provide very high detection efficiency, extremely fast counting rate and very low sensitivity to the gamma ray background. Such detectors are urgently needed at the major European neutron facilities for neutron Time-of-Flight spectrometers. The key idea is to use a fast optical readout method based on recording scintillation light from the active gas detection medium by modern silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) sensors. One main objective is to create realistic simulation models for several SiPMs configurations, exploring different approaches to enhance scintillation light collection, such as incorporating reflective and focusing elements. Simulations aim to find the optimal SiPMs configuration, minimising the number of sensors per unit length while maintaining performance, and reducing both costs and power consumption. Different types of SiPMs from ON Semi, FBK, and Hamamatsu will be evaluated based on photon detection efficiency (PDE), dark count rate and cost per unit area to identify the most suitable candidates. Students are expected to report on their work at the end of the internship, present their achievements at the LIP Summer Student Internship Workshop and write an internal report to be published on the LIP website.

Grupo : nDet
Local : Coimbra
Supervisor(s) : Luís Margato and Andrey Morozov
Email : margato@lip.pt
Vagas : 2
Duração/Datas : June - Jully 2025, flexible dates

Analysis of Solar Energetic Particle in Solar Events
The activity of the Sun can have a significant impact on Earth, especially during extreme solar events such as Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) or Solar Flares. Solar Flares are sudden bursts of radiation occurring in the Sun’s atmosphere, while CMEs correspond to the release of large amounts of plasma and magnetic fields into interplanetary space. When these events interact with Earths magnetic field, they can cause geomagnetic storms, disrupting satellites, power grids, and communication systems, as well as increasing radiation exposure for astronauts and passengers on polar flights. This summer project focuses on the analysis of solar events by examining particle flux data to explore various aspects of their occurrence and time evolution. By analysing data from several space missions, the aims is to better understand the conditions and processes that trigger these solar phenomena. This includes studying how solar events develop over time. Missions such as WIND, the Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory (STEREO), and Solar Orbiter continuously provide essential data on solar activity, which will be used in this project to analyse solar events.

Grupo : SpaceRad
Local : Lisboa
Supervisor(s) : Antónnio Gomes
Email : antonio.pessanha.gomes@tecnico.ulisboa.pt
Vagas : 2
Duração/Datas : July (indicative)

Characterization of Radiation Fields Using Optically Stimulated Luminescence with Flux-Grown Al2O3-based Detectors
This internship aims to explore the application of novel and commercial OSL materials for the characterization of a radiation field of an X-ray source. The project will focus on the evaluation of laminated flux-grown AL203 crystals synthesized in-house. The student will engage in the irradiation studies, the OSL readout analysis and the validation using TOPAS-MC.

Grupo : RADART
Local : Lisboa
Supervisor(s) : Cristiana Rodrigues, Joao Gentil
Email : cristiana@lip.pt
Vagas : 1
Duração/Datas : June-July

Cosmic Materials: Data & Simulation in Action
Space radiation poses significant challenges in protecting spacecraft and astronauts. In this project, the goal is to analyze radiation dose distributions and other key variables using data collected from several tools (dMEREM, SPENVIS, OLTARIS). This hands-on analysis is meant to introduce the fundamentals of dosimetry and help understand how radiation impacts different environments. In parallel, the project involves using Geant4, a powerful, open-source simulation toolkit that models particle interactions with matter, to simulate how various materials interact with a particle flux representative of Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCRs) or Solar Energetic Particles (SEPs).

Grupo : SpaceRad
Local : Lisboa
Supervisor(s) : Bruna Lima
Email : bruna.lima@tecnico.ulisboa.pt
Vagas : 2
Duração/Datas : July (indicative)

Measuring thin film thickness using surface plasmon resonance
Thin films, layers of material just a few atoms thick, are essential components in many exciting areas of modern physics research. The ability to create and precisely measure these films is crucial for applications ranging from advanced detectors in particle physics to microscale targets in nuclear experiments. At the Laboratory of Instrumentation and Particle Physics (LIP), you will have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in this fascinating field. This internship project will involve the production of thin films and you will learn and apply thin film deposition techniques such as sputtering and evaporation, gaining practical skills in material science and vacuum technology. You will learn about methodologies for determining the thickness of these films such as: - Alpha Particle Energy Loss: You will understand how the energy lost by alpha particles as they travel through the thin film is directly related to its thickness due to ionization being the dominant interaction at these scales. This involves principles of particle-matter interaction and detection. - Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR): You will delve into the intriguing phenomenon of surface plasmons – collective oscillations of electrons on a metal surface. By understanding how polarized light interacts with thin metal films, you will learn how SPR can be used as a highly sensitive optical technique to measure film thicknesses in the nanometer range. This involves concepts from optics and surface physics. During the internship you will be dealing with the implementation of a system to use SPR to determine the thickness of thin films. Comparison with other methods is forseen. During this internship, you will have the chance to: - Work alongside experienced researchers at LIP. - Develop practical laboratory skills in thin film production and characterization. - Learn about the fundamental physics behind these techniques. - Analyze experimental data and contribute to ongoing research. This project offers a unique opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge research and gain valuable experience in a dynamic and important field of physics. We encourage motivated Bachelor students with an interest in experimental physics and materials science to apply.

Grupo : LIP - Geral
Local : Lisboa
Supervisor(s) : Jose Figueiredo, Joao Gentil
Email : gentil@lip.pt
Vagas : 1
Duração/Datas : June-July

Science Planning and Operations of the ESA JUICE Mission Radiation Monitor
The ESA JUpiter ICy Moons Explorer (JUICE) mission, launched in April 2023, is set to explore Jupiter and its largest moons, particularly Ganymede, Callisto, and Europa. JUICE carries the RADiation-hard Electron Monitor (RADEM), designed to measure high-energy radiation in the harsh Jovian environment, and during the cruise to Jupiter. Characterizing all components of the space radiation environment: cosmic rays, solar energetic particles and planetary trapped particles; is essential for studying its effects on spacecraft, instruments, and the habitability of icy moons. This internship proposal focuses on supporting the science planning and operational activities of RADEM, including data analysis, calibration, and mission scheduling. Successful candidates will familiarize themselves with the RADEM instrument, build interactive visualization tools for data analysis and command sequencing, and predict radiation exposure throughout the mission using existing models and early RADEM data.

Grupo : SpaceRad
Local : Lisboa
Supervisor(s) : Marco Pinto
Email : mpinto@lip.pt
Vagas : 2
Duração/Datas : July (indicative)

High-precision fully differential predictions for top-pair production at the LHC in perturbative QCD
The asymptotic freedom is a feature of QCD, the theory of the strong interaction, which makes the coupling constant of theory small at high energies. As such, a perturbative approach to the quantum field theory of QCD is applicable and has been successful in the computation of cross sections for many final states produced in proton-proton collisions at the LHC. In this project the student will obtain, using state-of-the art Monte Carlo generators, fully differential theoretical predictions for top-pair production at the LHC in QCD. The goal is to test the theoretical accuracy of these calculations and assess quantitatively their agreement with recent experimental measurements of this process at the LHC.

Grupo : Pheno
Local : Lisboa
Supervisor(s) : João Pires
Email : jnpires@lip.pt
Vagas : 1
Duração/Datas : At least 4 weeks from beginning of July until first week of September

NTC Coverage Strategy for Temperature Monitoring in the ATLAS-HGTD
The ATLAS High Granularity Timing Detector (HGTD) will be a precision silicon-based sub-detector designed to enhance particle identification and vertex separation in high-luminosity proton-proton collisions at the LHC (HL-LHC). Ensuring thermal stability and monitoring across the detector’s front-end electronics is critical for reliable performance. we investigate the optimal distribution of Negative Temperature Coefficient (NTC) sensors, which are embedded in selected detector modules and transmit temperature measurements via the Peripheral Electronics Boards (PEBs) to the interlock system. The student will develop a coordinate-based mapping of the modules connected to each PEB and design a strategy to distribute the available NTC sensors in a way that maximizes thermal coverage and monitoring efficiency. By implementing uniform spacing and edge-sensitive positioning, the project aims to define optimal sensor layouts for the different board configurations. The work also includes generating visual diagrams. This project offers an opportunity to engage with real detector hardware design and data quality assurance efforts within the ATLAS experiment.

Grupo : ATLAS
Local : Lisboa
Supervisor(s) : Helena Santos
Email : helena@lip.pt
Vagas : 1
Duração/Datas : At least 3 weeks between 2025-06-16 2025-08-31

Probbing the Quark-Gluon Plasma with heavy quarks
At the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), high-energy collisions of lead (Pb) ions allow us to recreate and study the quark-gluon plasma (QGP) — a state of matter believed to have filled the early universe shortly after the Big Bang. Understanding the properties of this extreme medium is a central goal in heavy-ion physics, yet many of its features remain unknown. One of the most effective ways to probe the QGP is through the study of heavy-flavor particles, such as B mesons, which are sensitive to the mediums dynamics. The most recent Pb–Pb collision data collected by the CMS experiment provide an unprecedented opportunity to reconstruct B meson decays with high precision. However, the complex and dense environment of heavy-ion collisions presents significant challenges, especially due to the large background of uncorrelated particles. This project aims to explore advanced analysis strategies — including likelihood fitting methods and machine learning techniques — to reliably extract B meson signals from the data. By measuring the B meson nuclear modification factor (RAA) in the low transverse momentum region, where medium effects are expected to be strongest, the project will contribute to a deeper understanding of the QGPs influence on heavy-flavor production. Further, measurements as function of event centrality/multiplicity or rapidity will allow to reveal other production decencies or connect different collision systems. Therefore, in this project, the selected students will contribute to on-going physics analysis, gain hands-on experience with real LHC data and modern data analysis tools, and obtain deeper knowledge in particle physics.

Grupo : CMS
Local : Lisboa
Supervisor(s) : Henrique Legoinha, Nuno Leonardo
Email : h.legoinha@cern.ch
Vagas : 2
Duração/Datas : Julho - Setembro

Search for Dark Higgs with SND@LHC
The discovery of the Higgs boson a decade ago marked the completion of the standard model (SM). The search for new particles has not ended however: SM particles alone cannot explain several established phenomena (eg dark matter, neutrino masses, matter-antimatter imbalance). A compelling reason for why such new particles haven’t been yet established is the possibility that they interact very feebly with SM particles, thus evading detection. The search for such particles with feeble interaction strength (FIPs) and large lifetimes is a major current endeavor in particle physics. The SND@LHC detector is located 500m away from the LHC collision point in ATLAS, thus offering increased sensitivity for detecting FIP particles with long lifetimes. The project involves the analysis of data collected with SND@LHC, the most recent LHC experiment.

Grupo : SHiP/SND@LHC
Local : Lisboa
Supervisor(s) : Cristovao Vilela, Nuno Leonardo
Email : nuno@cern.ch
Vagas : 2
Duração/Datas : Jun-Sept

Tracking muons from ongoing LHC collisions
Muons are highly penetrating particles that traverse large amounts of matter. A muon telescope, based on an innovative technology (sRPC), designed and built at LIP, has been installed in 2024 in the LHC tunnel, and has already successfully accumulated one year worth of data. The new detector allows us to measure the flux of muons produced in the LHC collisions, that occur 500m away at ATLAS. These unique measurements will not only allow to improve the physics simulations of the LHC collision products but is also key for detecting neutrinos at the LHC – a milestone that has been only recently achieved for the first time, with the most recent LHC experiment, SND@LHC. (Refs: https://www.lip.pt/?section=press&page=news-details&id=1687; https://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.131.031802). The project involves the analysis of the collected data towards the measurement of the LHC muonic flux.

Grupo : SHiP/SND@LHC
Local : Lisboa
Supervisor(s) : Cristovao Vilela, Alberto Blanco, Nuno Leonardo
Email : c.vilela@cern.ch
Vagas : 2
Duração/Datas : Jun-Sept

Search for rare phenomena with ATLAS Open Data
The ATLAS Open dataset will be used to develop a dedicated analysis for a chosen rare process at the LHC. Advanced analysis techniques will be used and the statistical analysis of the obtained results will be performed.

Grupo : ATLAS
Local : Minho
Supervisor(s) : Nuno Castro
Email : nfcastro@lip.pt
Vagas : 3
Duração/Datas : June-July 2025, to be agreed

Exploring heavy mesons
Hadrons are composite systems of quarks and antiquarks that interact through the strong interaction, which is mediated by the exchange of gluons. This interaction is so strong that single quarks cannot be separated from other quarks, a phenomenon known as confinement. It is not yet known how exactly confinement arises from the fundamental quark and gluon interactions, but one can study effective models to learn about its properties. A particular kind of hadrons are called mesons, most of which can be understood as bound states of one quark and one antiquark. The objective of this internship project is to explore how details of the interaction between quarks and antiquarks influence the masses and the internal structure of mesons. We will focus on studying heavy mesons, where relativistic effects, most importantly spin-dependent interactions, are expected to be small enough to be treated perturbatively. By varying the strengths of these interactions, their relative importance in the theoretical descriptions of observables can be assessed. This is a theory project with a strong computational component, so experience with programming in languages like Mathematica, Fortran, C++ or Python is necessary. Candidates should also have a decent knowledge of quantum mechanics, including the quantum treatment of spin and orbital angular momentum, as well as of special relativity. Familiarity with the Dirac equation would be a plus.

Grupo : NPStrong
Local : Lisboa
Supervisor(s) : Alfred Stadler, Elmar Biernat
Email : stadler@lip.pt
Vagas : 2
Duração/Datas : Dates are flexible. We could start sometime in June and continue until the end of July in person at LIP. Occasional remote meetings during August would also be possible, if needed.

High Energy Physics numerical simulations with GPUs and Machine Learning
With the increasing complexity of modern Physics models, it is nearly impossible to obtain full analytical expressions, and thus one must resort to numerical calculations and simulations. However, traditional methods struggle severely with state-of-the-art physical systems, requiring more advanced numerical techniques and computational power. GPU parallelization and Machine Learning (ML) are modern and crucial techniques for one to obtain fast and precise results in large-scale systems. In this project, we aim to explore these novel tools to optimize High Energy Physics (HEP) simulations. Students will be introduced to state-of-the-art numerical methods for certain HEP problems (for instance, non-unitary Schrodinger equations) and learn the basis of GPU parallelization and ML to further improve the execution of those methods. Students are encouraged to use standard Python libraries, such as CuPy, Pytorch and/or Tensorflow. The selected candidates will gain a strong background in numerical methods and highly transferable skills of modern computing. Requirements: Demonstrable strong skills in Python and standard numerical methods. This internship will be held in a hybrid regime (can be fully in-person until the end of July).

Grupo : Pheno
Local : Lisboa
Supervisor(s) : Marco Leitão
Email : mleitao@lip.pt
Vagas : 3
Duração/Datas : Flexible. Availability from June to September. Recommended duration: 1.5 - 2 months

In-medium propagation of particles in an open quantum system approach
In recent years, with the rapid advancement of quantum computing and information, there has been an increasing interest in the study of open quantum systems, i.e., quantum systems that are in constant interaction with an external quantum thermal bath, leading to dissipation and decoherence. Unlike isolated systems, open systems undergo a non-unitary evolution due to the external interaction, requiring a more sophisticated mathematical description. This formalism is being extensively studied in the context of condensed matter physics, namely in topological properties of materials, transport phenomena and non-equilibrium dynamics. However, exploring the potential of open quantum systems in the context of Particle Physics remains relatively untapped. This project proposes to study the formalism of open quantum systems, using the Lindblad equation to describe a prototype of the interaction of a particle with a dense medium, both on the theory and the numerical side. The results obtained in this internship will serve as a basis for an open quantum system approach in the context of the propagation of partons in the hot and dense Quark-Gluon Plasma. The selected candidates will gain a strong background on modern quantum mechanics and state-of-the-art simulation techniques. Requirements: Elementary quantum mechanics and thermodynamics. Familiarity with standard numerical methods is recommended. This internship will be held in a hybrid regime (can be fully in-person until the end of July).

Grupo : Pheno
Local : Lisboa
Supervisor(s) : Marco Leitão
Email : mleitao@lip.pt
Vagas : 2
Duração/Datas : Flexible. Availability from Jun to September. Recommended duration: 1.5 - 2 months

R-Matrix Analysis of Nuclear Reactions with AZURE2
Nuclear reactions are the basis of fusion energy technologies, which aim to provide a sustainable and nearly limitless energy source for the future. This internship project focuses on reactions relevant to Ion Beam Analysis (IBA)—a technique used to study and optimize wall materials in future fusion reactors. Following the recent decision by the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) to use tungsten as its first wall material, boron has attracted increasing interest due to its role in wall conditioning. This project will investigate cross-section data for nuclear reactions of helium-3 (He-3) ions with boron isotopes (B-10 and B-11). The data will be analyzed using the open-source code AZURE2 which is based on R-matrix theory—a quantum-mechanical framework for modeling low-energy nuclear reactions, including scattering, capture, and compound nucleus formation. The two students selected for this project will start by becoming familiar with the fundamentals of nuclear reactions and R-matrix theory, and the structure and operation of the AZURE2 code. Once AZURE2 is set up and running, the students will compile input data from IAEA nuclear databases on separation energies, spin-parity assignments, and energies and widths of excited states of the compound nucleus for each reaction channel. The goal of the project is to evaluate how effectively AZURE2 can fit data for He-3-induced reactions with B-10 and B-11. Developing a robust theoretical description of these nuclear reactions will support future measurements and help generate high-quality cross-section data for IBA—critical for advancing nuclear fusion research. Candidates are expected to have a decent foundation in quantum mechanics and a basic knowledge of nuclear physics. Experience in programming and data handling would also be beneficial.

Grupo : NPStrong
Local : Lisboa
Supervisor(s) : Elmar Biernat, Alfred Stadler
Email : elmar.biernat@tecnico.ulisboa.pt
Vagas : 2
Duração/Datas : Dates are flexible. We could start sometime in June and continue until the end of July in person at LIP. Occasional remote meetings during August would also be possible, if needed.