Student Spotlight

Nick Zobrist

Junior (graduating spring 2015)
Physics and Applied Mathematics, U.C. Berkeley,
Area of NIF: Optics Inspection

Tell us about your work at NIF.
I'm here to contribute to the optics inspection algorithms that evaluate the condition of NIF’s optics. One of the ways I've done this is by modeling reflection locations which is a new capability that they’ve needed, but I've helped my mentor, Laura Kegelmeyer, with parts of other projects as well.

You received an award for your work here.
I presented a poster at the Student Poster Symposium on identifying reflections on images taken by the “FODI” camera system entitled “Reflections Seen by FODI on the NIF Final Optics.” I was awarded one of four Achievement Award blue ribbons, and as it was a very competitive event, it was really an honor.

How the NIF Summer Internship Program helped you?
This has been my second internship at the Lab. Last year I worked with Zhi Liao. My internships at NIF have introduced me to many areas of science that were completely new to me, such as image processing and analysis and more engineering exposure. Of course, it’s interesting to see the high energy laser in action, its impact on the optics, and how that’s managed.   NIF is an engineering marvel.

Why did you choose NIF? What you can learn at NIF?
NIF is well known in the scientific community for the science that is done here. It has been a privilege to be among such great people this summer. Apart from project-specific skills that I learned, being here at NIF has taught me how to work in collaboration with a team of experts—a truly unique experience that stands apart from anything I could do at a university.