Course syllabus for Advancing technology using large scale facilities

Course syllabus adopted 2023-08-28 by Head of Programme (or corresponding).

Overview

  • Swedish nameStorskaliga forskningsanläggningar för framsteg inom teknologi och vetenskap
  • CodeTRA380
  • Credits7.5 Credits
  • OwnerTRACKS
  • Education cycleSecond-cycle
  • DepartmentTRACKS
  • GradingTH - Pass with distinction (5), Pass with credit (4), Pass (3), Fail

Course round 1

  • Teaching language English
  • Application code 97155
  • Minimum participants5
  • Open for exchange studentsYes

Credit distribution

0123 Project 7.5 c
Grading: TH		0 c7.5 c0 c0 c0 c0 c

In programmes

Examiner

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Eligibility

General entry requirements for Master's level (second cycle)
Applicants enrolled in a programme at Chalmers where the course is included in the study programme are exempted from fulfilling the requirements above.

Specific entry requirements

English 6 (or by other approved means with the equivalent proficiency level)
Applicants enrolled in a programme at Chalmers where the course is included in the study programme are exempted from fulfilling the requirements above.

Course specific prerequisites

General for all Tracks courses: In addition to the general requirements to study at the first-cycle level at Chalmers, necessary subject or project specific prerequisite competences (if any) must be fulfilled. Alternatively, the student must obtain the necessary competences during the course. The examiner will formulate and check these prerequisite competences. The student will only be admitted in agreement with the examiner.

Additional specific prerequisites for the course: The course is open to all master¿s programme students, PhD students and Chalmers alumni who are interested in how synchrotron facilities work, and their applications in studying systems such as energy storage, reaction dynamics, soft matter, nanoparticles and biomedical applications.

Aim

General for all Tracks courses: The course provides a platform to work and solve challenging cross-disciplinary authentic problems from different stakeholders in society such as the academy, industry or public institutions. Additionally, the aim is that students from different educational programs practice working efficiently in multidisciplinary development teams.

Course specific aim: This Tracks course will provide you with the basic knowledge about large scale X-ray and neutron facilities, including how they work, and the different sorts of experiments and "beamlines" that are available.

Additionally, you will gain practical knowledge in how to apply for and run experiments and anaylse the data. The course will also include a site visit to MAX IV and ESS, the X-ray and neutron large scale facilities in Lund. At the end of the course, you will have a theoretical and practical overview of how X-rays and neutrons can be applied to study myriad systems, from batteries to bacteria. In particular this course will give you a practical introduction to how to access and apply these facilities for your own present and future research.

Learning outcomes (after completion of the course the student should be able to)

General learning outcomes for Tracks courses:
  • critically and creatively identify and/or formulate advanced engineering problems
  • master problems with open solutions spaces which includes to be able to handle uncertainties and limited information
  • work in multidisciplinary teams and collaborate in teams with different compositions
  • orally and in writing explain and discuss information, problems, methods, design/development processes and solutions
Course specific learning outcomes (use active verbs, see examples above in the general learning outcomes):
  • describe different types of beamlines at X-ray and neutron sources and their applications
  • account for different types of data analysis techniques and their applications
  • account for and evaluate how methods and techniques available at large scale facilities can be applied to answer a range of research questions
  • compile, critically analyze and evaluate research results and present these both orally and in writing

Content

In this Tracks course you will gain basic knowledge about large scale X-ray and neutron facilities, including how they work, and the different sorts of experiments and "beamlines" that are available. Through project-based learning, you will also gain practical knowledge in how to apply for and run experiments and anaylse the data.

Organisation

The course is run by a teaching team. The main part of the course is a challenge driven project. The challenge may range from being broad societal to profound research driven. The project task is solved in a group. The course is supplemented by on-demand teaching and learning of the skills necessary for the project. The project team will have one university examiner, one or a pole of university supervisors and one or a pole of external co-supervisors if applicable.

In this course you will learn form a series of experts about the applications and relevant underlying theory of a wide range techniques available at large scale facilities, which can be used to answer scientific questions pertaining to structure and reaction of matter including applications in e.g. energy and medicine. You will apply the knowledge you gain while working in interdisciplinary teams to write beamtime applications for selected facilities and beamlines. This is the first step in the process of carrying out experiments at such facilities. Teaching includes lectures, journal clubs and project work and is complemented with a site visit.

Literature

With input from the teaching team, students will develop the ability to identify and acquire relevant literature throughout their projects.

Examination including compulsory elements

To pass the course, you have to actively participate in the lectures (>80% presence). You must also participate in project work, journal club and the final presentation. Final grades will be awarded through a combination of short assessments (20%), journal club (20%), project work (40%) and final presentation (20% of final grade). The site visit is not mandatory, but participation is highly encouraged.

The course examiner may assess individual students in other ways than what is stated above if there are special reasons for doing so, for example if a student has a decision from Chalmers on educational support due to disability.