Master Thesis

Objectives

• To initiate students into research activities.
• To incorporate students into a research group during the time of the master thesis.
• To perform a research work in order to acquire the research skills needed for developing a research career.

Skills

• Communicate and justify conclusions clearly and unambiguously to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
• Continue the learning process, to a large extent autonomously
• Devise strategies for analysis, synthesis and communication to transmit notions of high energy physics, astrophysics and cosmology in educational and outreach environments.
• Integrate knowledge and use it to make judgements in complex situations, with incomplete information, while keeping in mind social and ethical responsibilities.
• Plan and carry out theoretical, experimental or observational research in the fields of high energy physics, astrophysics or cosmology using the appropriate methods, bringing innovative and competitive proposals, and report about the results
• Solve problems in new or little-known situations within broader (or multidisciplinary) contexts related to the field of study.
• Use the adequate software, programming languages and computer packages to research problems related to high energy physics, astrophysics and cosmology.

Learning outcomes

1. Achieve a overall view of the Masters dissertation.
2. Be capable of carrying out an original Masters Dissertation project.
3. Begin research in a new area.
4. Learn the necessary programming languages for the research to be carried out.
5. Make a public oral presentation of the Masters dissertation that is clear, concise and coherent.
6. Undertake the Masters dissertation project independently with supervision.
7. Write a clear, concise and coherent report for the Masters dissertation.

Content

The master thesis will consist in a research work, preferably original, in the fields of Particle Physics, Astrophysics or Cosmology, developed in a pre-existing research group, preferably, at UAB, IFAE or ICE-CSIC. The research work must be done individually. The student and the supervisor will agree the research lines. In case the supervisor is not UAB personnel belonging to the Physics Department, the student will find a tutor from the Physics Departament.

Methodology:

The master thesis will consist in a written report and an oral defense. The written report has two modalities this year. Upon agreement with the supervisor, the student will select between:

• Thesis-like report: 50 pages maximum document including figures. The report will contain a cover page with the title and the names of the student and supervisor, abstract, introduction, methodology, results, conclusions, and bibliography. The report will be written in English.

• Research paper-like report: 2-colum 15 pages maximum length document, excluding appendeces, emulating a publishable research article. A LaTeX template for such document can be found in the following links depending on your itinerary:

  • High Energy physics: Physics letter B
  • Astrophysics and Cosmology: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

Prerequisites

It is recommended to have followed the courses of the first semester, and to follow, in parallel, the courses of the second one.