1 Research Master position in Alloy Solidification in Space in Ireland | University College Dublin

We are pleased to announce that an opportunity has arisen in Dublin for a Masters by research in the area of zero-gravity solidification of alloys in space, funded by the European Space Agency (ESA). The project is denoted XRMON (full title: In-situ X-Ray Monitoring of advanced metallurgical processes under microgravity and terrestrial conditions), and is in collaboration with the Swedish Space Corporation (SSC) - www.sscspace.com - and ESA, along with partners in Norway, France, Germany and the UK. Two of the other consortium partners are from industry. The work will be based in the School of Mechanical & Materials Engineering at University College Dublin (UCD).

The UCD team has previously carried out experiments on parabolic flights, on which short duration zero-gravity experiments can be done. However, we now plan to carry out longer duration flights – on board a Maser “sounding” rocket – to be launched by SSC from Northern Sweden in autumn/winter 2015. Zero gravity conditions exist for 6 minutes on board the rocket, whilst it’s in space, enabling complete melting and solidification of our alloy sample in the absence of the effects of gravity.

The postgraduate student will register for the degree of M.Eng.Sc. by research, and he/she will be supported by way of a tax-free stipend for up to 18 months, and have their postgraduate fees covered. In addition, funding for necessary travel to collaborate with partners will be available, and it is envisioned that the student will attend the rocket experiment in Kiruna, Sweden, later this year. The project will be led by Dr David J. Browne, and the student will join the active Phase Transformation Research Group. The work will be a mixture of experimental and analytical work, and a lot of the effort will be on post-flight analysis of the experimental data. It is expected that the results will be published in an international journal. An honours degree, in engineering or science, would be necessary to be admitted to the project. Subject to performance, and the availability of funding, progression to a PhD project is also a possibility.