Tom Szwarcer
University of Oxford (Physics)
Projects
CERN Summer Studentship
2025
- Contributions made to the open source simulation toolkit Garfield++ in order to take the space charge effect into account in microscopic tracking simulations.
- Framework created to model the space charge effect semi-analytically in avalanche simulations, with significant progress made into reducing the added computation overhead of the field calculations. Framework applied to investigate whether resistive anodes in gaseous detectors significantly affect the space charge field. Investigations made into the charge densities required to significantly affect the behaviour of gaseous detectors; results applied in a simulation study, confirming the presence of a gain-limiting effect.
- This work enables more accurate simulations of gaseous and silicon detectors, and improved understanding of the physical processes underlying detector behaviour.
- Developed skills in using C++, including developing and implementing algorithms, profiling with Valgrind/Callgrind, techniques for optimisation and efficiency, and object-oriented programming.
- Simulations run in parallel on CERN computing cluster. Gained experience using HTCondor to manage computing resources.
- Languages used: C++, Python, Bash. All work was done on Linux systems. Git used for version control. Use of lldb for debugging.
- Developed knowledge of the operational principles of gaseous detectors.
- Progress regularly presented to the CERN GDD group. Seminar presentation given to the CERN EP-DT group. Project report written, and added as a DRD1 technical note.
- Work presented at the Oct. 2025 DRD1 collaboration meeting in Warsaw, Poland. (Slides linked below)
- Supervisors: Djunes Janssens, Heinrich Schindler
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Start: 30/6/2025. End: 19/9/2025
- Project report can be found here
- Code can be found here
- Presentation slides can be found here
Dark Matter Summer Placement
2024
- Eight-week internship with the MIGDAL collaboration at STFC, working towards the observation and measurement of the Migdal effect. This effect could make experiments that detect dark matter candidates sensitive to a wider mass range.
- Investigation done into the use of Garfield++ and Magboltz for tracking the production of scintillation light in CF4/Ar mixtures.
- Application to the GEM geometry and E-field configuration present in the MIGDAL time projection chamber.
- Proof of concept system for tracking the production of scintillation light was developed.
- Methods for reducing computation time of GEM drift simulations were investigated
- Gained experience working with gas detectors, including the operational principles of time projection chambers and GEMs
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Progress regularly presented to the collaboration. Seminar presentation given to researchers and other summer students. Project report assembled.
- Project report can be found here
- Code can be found here
- Presentation slides can be found here
| Task | Tool used |
|---|---|
| 3D modelling & meshing | Gmsh |
| Creation of E-field map | Elmer |
| Gas properties & electron-gas interaction simulations | Garfield++, Magboltz |
| Data analysis | Python |
| Data visualisation/analysis | ROOT |
| Parallel computing | HTCondor |
Third year project
2024
- Extended astrophysics practical project.
- Data reduction and photometry was done on observational images.
- Membership to clusters was confirmed by matching proper motion and parallax data from the Gaia satellate to our processed data using TOPCAT.
- Colour magnitude diagrams were produced from the processed data, and isochrones fitted to them. Age, distance and extinction parameters, with estimated errors, were obtained.
- Literature search carried out to test agreement of results
- Developed ability to quickly understand and use specialised scientific software and tools (QFitsView, SAOImageDS9, TOPCAT)
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Results presented in a scientific report, which scored 85
- Report can be viewed here
Gravitational N-body simulator
2024
- Written in Python
- Uses the velocity Verlet algorithm
- Supports an arbitrary number of bodies with user-defined masses and initial positions/velocities
- Capability to track energy and momentum conservation
- Produces an animated GIF of the results
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Skills: principles of many-particle simulations. Numerical methods for simulating dynamical systems. Writing efficient, vector based code in Python. Using NumPy.
- Code can be found here
- For a higher quality version of the gif below, head to the GitHub page
1D FDTD simulation of EM waves
2024
- Finite-Difference Time-Domain method used to simulate the propagation, reflection and transmission of EM waves in the presence of dielectrics
- Written using C++ and Python
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Skills: understanding and using the FDTD method
- Code can be found here
Quantum mechanics LaTeX notes
2023
- Comprehensive LaTeX notes on quantum mechanics
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Distributed to students in the year below
- Viewable here
Linear algebra LaTeX notes
2022
- Comprehensive LaTeX notes on linear algebra
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Distributed to students in the year below
- Viewable here
Homemade cloud chamber
2020
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Built a homemade cloud chamber during lockdown
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Videos viewable here