Postgraduate students

	Peshwaz Abdoul Email me In September 2009 I graduated from Stuttgart University, Germany, with an MSc in Plasma physics. My PhD at York is under the supervision of Prof Howard Wilson. My PhD project involves analytical theory and computational analysis of linear and non-linear processes that lead to turbulence in tokamak plasmas. The main purpose of my PhD project will be to extend the Ideal MHD code, ELITE, by taking the two-fluid effects into account. In doing that I intend to explore the influences of two-fluids effects on ideal MHD instabilities, which are believed to be responsible for plasma eruptions called ELMs. This code will then be used to understand the global properties of linear microinstabilities in the edge region and compare with the results of GS2 code in appropriate limits.
	Andy Allen Email me I am currently undertaking a PhD at the University of York. My area of research is in the modelling and analysing of Edge Localised Modes (ELMs) in tokamak plasmas, with the hope of understanding ELM formation and mitigation.
	Reem Alraddadi Email me I am doing a PhD in Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) under the supervision of Dr John Pasley and Dr Nigel Woolsey. My research involves investigating aspects of the physics of electron generation, heating and transport which occur in intense laser interactions with plasma.
	Chris Bowman Email me I'm currently studying for a PhD under the supervision of Dr Kieran Gibson as part of the DTN. My research centres on the formation of internal transport barriers (ITBs) in tokamak plasmas. ITBs are phenomena characterised by a drop in heat and particle transport near the core region of the plasma. The reduced transport arises due to the suppression of turbulence within the plasma, but the mechanism by which this occurs is not fully understood. The presence of an ITB can significantly increase the energy confinement of a fusion plasma, and can therefore be very advantageous. Understanding the physics of transport barriers may allow us to reliably control their formation, providing alternative operating scenarios for ITER.
	Robert Crowston Email me Testing our understanding of physics under exceptionally high-energy conditions, such as in the centre of gas giants or at supernova shock fronts, has only recently come into reach of experimental facilities. My research is principally concerned in the emerging field of laboratory astrophysics: how we can use high-power laser laboratories, together with results obtained in plasma studies, to test directly some of the theories underpinning our understanding of high-energy astrophysical phenomena.
	Ozgur Culfa Email me I am a student of the Fusion Doctoral Training Network based at the University of York, and studying for a PhD in Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) under the supervision of Dr.Nigel Woolsey. My area of research involves a spectroscopic study of energetic electron beams for fast ignition. This project aims are to improve our understanding of fast ignition through the study of target heating as a laser-driven relativistic electron beam heats dense matter.
	Rachel Dance Email me I am studying for a PhD in Inertial Confinement Energy as part of the Fusion Doctoral Training Network under the supervision of Dr Nigel Woolsey.
	Peter Denner Email me I am currently studying for a PhD in magnetic confinement fusion under the supervision of Dr Nigel Woolsey (at the University of York) and Dr Andrew Kirk (at Culham Science Centre). My PhD is funded by EPSRC and Culham Centre for Fusion Energy, and it concerns violent plasma eruptions called Edge Localized Modes (ELMs) - which are a major concern for ITER - and ways of mitigating their effects.
	David Dickinson Email me I am a first year PhD student looking at turbulence and transport. Currently my work is mostly theoretical/computational but links to experimental work will hopefully be made. I first became involved with the Plasma Group in my research project performed whilst completing my MPhys degree based at York.
	Thomas Fox Email me My research involves developing new models of non-diffusive electron transport in a form of inertial confinement fusion called shock ignition. Current models of electron transport in inertial confinement in general are underdeveloped and include arbitrary assumptions with even less work done in shock ignition in particular. Improved models will help our understanding of how we can couple the laser to the fuel target to more efficiently heat it and achieve ignition. I will be studying under the supervision of Dr John Pasley at the University of York and co-supervision of Dr Alex Robinson at the Central Laser Facility, where I will be based after 6 months at the University of York. I will also have involvement with the Atomic Weapons Establishment as they have an active interest in inertial confinement fusion.
	Arthur Greb Email me In September 2010 I graduated from the Ruhr-Universität Bochum (Germany) and immediately started my PhD studies at the Queen's University Belfast. Recently, I've transferred my PhD project to the York Plasma Institute under the supervision of Prof Timo Gans. My research is focused on exploiting the synergy of numerical simulations and state-of-the-art plasma diagnostics for an advanced process metrology. This will not only provide more accurate results from the simulations, but also give the opportunity to gain information on important surface processes involving radical and metastable species in different chemical environments. Using this technique for new process control strategies will significantly benefit critical nano-structure etching processes and delicate radical-sensitive cell treatments in plasma-medicine.
	Alexander Lampson Email me I am a undertaking a PhD in Plasma Physics at the University of York. I am currently designing a proton detector for MAST, and modelling the behaviour of fusion-born protons using CUDA. The use of CUDA code allows the modelling of billions of proton orbits in reasonable timeframes, removing the etendue problem.
	Matthew Leyland Email me I am currently based at the University of York for 6 months and then moving down to CCFE (Culham Centre for Fusion Energy) to continue my PhD. My supervisors are Dr. Kieran Gibson (York), Dr. Marc Beurskens and Dr. Hendrik Meyer (CCFE). My area of research involves analysing experimental data from MAST and JET, with particular interest in the H-mode pedestal.
	Rachel McAdams Email me I am currently studying as part of the DTN scheme under the supervision of Prof. Howard Wilson (York) and Dr Ian Chapman (CCFE). My project will use large parallel computers to model the tokamak resistive wall mode and the interaction with a stabilising plasma flow.
	Ben Moody Email me I am a York DTN student, working under the joint supervision of Prof Howard Wilson (York) and Dr Colin Roach (CCFE). Like the other DTN students, I also have the option of performing part of my studies at my secondary base - down at Culham. My work will involve the use of the GS2 gyrokinetics code to perform various studies of plasma turbulence. One particular research focus will be studying the interface between the H-mode pedestal region, and the adjacent plasma region in which the pressure gradient is much more shallow. It has been seen that these two regions are dominated by different types of plasma instability. I intend to explore this phenomenon, studying the link between these instabilities and the underlying transport levels in each region.
	Lee Morgan Email me I am a student of the Fusion Doctoral Training Network based at York University and studying for a PhD in ICF neutronics under the supervision of Dr John Pasley. My area of research is ICF neutronics with a focus on tritium breeding blanket design, tritium breeding rates, blanket activation and the transmutation of nuclear waste.
	Mohammed Shahzad Email me I am currently studying at the University of York as part of the Fusion Doctoral Training Network. My PhD will focus on EUV and X-Ray of plasmas at high energy density under the supervision of Prof Greg Tallents. My PhD will also aim to develop experiments in order to measure the heating effects of EUV and X-ray laser pulses on solid targets.
	Jack Snape Email me I work on the experimental study of Neoclassical Tearing Modes (NTMS) on the MAST tokamak. An NTM is a type of instability which reduces plasma temperature and can cause a disruption. There are many uncertainties in the theories which predict their growth which makes them a matter of concern for ITER. Using a variety of diagnostic techniques, the temperature, density, plasma flow and plasma currents around an NTM can be measured. The aim of my PhD is to study the validity of theories for island growth using these experimental measurements.
	Nick Walkden Email me I am studying a PhD as part of the Doctoral Training Network based in association with York University and Culham Centre for Fusion Energy. My PhD is supervised by Dr Ben Dudson (York) and Dr Geoff Fishpool (CCFE) and is focussed on modelling the Super-X Divertor in preperation for its implementation on MAST (Mega Amp Spherical Tokamak) in Culham. To achieve this I will benchmark a two dimensional fluid code called BSOLPS against experiments on MAST. I will then benchmark the more advanced and accurate three dimensional non-linear edge fluid code, BOUT++, against BSOLPS to achieve agreement with modern both numerical and experimental edge plasma physics. This will allow me, after making extensions to BOUT++, to model the Super-X divertor (SXD) and predict with confidence its performance prior to its installation. This is important as the SXD will be integral to the succesful operation of magnetic fusion reactor tokamaks in the future.
	Tom Williams Email me After graduating from the University of York with an MSc in Fusion Energy, I stayed on and am now studying for a PhD under the supervision of Roddy Vann at York and Martin O'Brien at Culham Centre for Fusion Energy (CCFE). My project involves computational modelling of electron Bernstein wave (EBW) emission and absorption in spherical tokamaks such as MAST at CCFE. This will support an ongoing York/CCFE project to build a detector observing EBW emission; the current at the edge of the plasma can be deduced from these observations, giving valuable insight into potentially damaging eruptions known as edge localised modes (ELMs). Simulations of EBW absorption are relevant to the study of current drive using EBWs, a potential candidate for plasma start-up.
	Lucy Wilson Email me I am currently studying for a PhD in laser plasmas as part of the Fusion Doctoral Training Network under the supervision of Prof. Greg Tallents. My research involves the measurement of the opacity of plasmas at moderate and high energy density.

Department of Physics

Postgraduate students

Peshwaz Abdoul

Andy Allen

Reem Alraddadi

Chris Bowman

Robert Crowston

Ozgur Culfa

Rachel Dance

Peter Denner

David Dickinson

Thomas Fox

Arthur Greb

Alexander Lampson

Matthew Leyland

Rachel McAdams

Ben Moody

Lee Morgan

Mohammed Shahzad

Jack Snape

Nick Walkden

Tom Williams

Lucy Wilson