Graduate Life at WNSL
Graduate students at WNSL study frontline nuclear structure problems in stable and exotic nuclei. They generally work in groups of 3-4 people, and projects are carried out from start to finish. This means the students are involved in every aspect of the process, including physics motivation, instrument design, construction and installation, testing and calibration, experiment, and data analysis. In addition, the lab provides opportunities for students to focus on particular areas of interest / expertise, including hardware, software, electronics, computers, data analysis, physics interpretation, nuclear models. In other words, there are lots of niches, and the only rule is that you should work on what you like, and learn new skills in the process. Beyond that, every student is expected to complete the following before finishing his or her degree:
- Build a piece of equipment.
- Have his or her own experiment.
- Do experiments at other labs.
- Receive broad training in all aspects of experimental nuclear physics.
In addition, students generally attend conferences annually (if not more frequently), and get the chance to network with other scientists in the field and practice presenting their ideas to a professional audience.
The working environment in the Structure Group is friendly
and hands-on. Students have a priority (unless funding agencies happen
to be calling), and "There
Is No Such Thing As A Stupid Question" (TINSTAASQ) is a lab motto.
If you are a current or prospective graduate student at Yale,
and are interested in joining the Nuclear Structure Group at WNSL,
or if you are a student at another institution and would like to work
as a visiting researcher here at WNSL, please feel free to contact Rick Casten,
Andreas Heinz, or Volker Werner for more information.
