NIF&PS Summer Scholars Grace Cowell and Joseph Falcao, mechanical engineering students at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, investigate static deflection of diagnostic snouts as a function of cantilevered load under the tutelage of responsible engineer Ken Skulina. Their work will be used to design, fabricate, and test an upgraded kinematic base and snout capable of fielding heavier diagnostics. (Credit: James Pryatel)
(Download Image)Summer Scholars Learn by Doing
The NIF & Photon Science Directorate hosted 48 undergraduate and graduate students this summer under the directorate’s annual Summer Scholar program.
The students worked on a variety of independent research projects supporting the science, operations, target fabrication, optics, and engineering programs. Eight of the students performed original research in high energy density (HED) physics, including modeling and characterization of diagnostics, improvements to current diagnostics, and advanced analysis of implosion data. In the optics and materials science program, Summer Scholar Aria Dang analyzed NIF beam quality to help predict laser-induced optics damage (see "Driven to Serve Her Country)," while Valeria Santiago Morales studied the behavior of laser heating on plates with different properties for material processing.
Two of the HED students were recognized at the recent Lab-wide Summer Student Symposium for their significant work on modeling NIF neutron time-of-flight data (Owen Mannion, University of Massachusetts, Amherst), and improving streak camera performance (Jeremy Hassett, University of Rochester).
The Summer Scholar program was organized by the directorate’s Zhi Liao, Tammy Ma, Reggie Drachenberg, and Sam Schrauth with administrative support from Carly Limtiaco and Nyla Wlodarczyk.
