Cross-Disciplinary Internship Program

Highlighted Host Labs and Research Groups

Several McDonald Institute faculty members have opened their doors for potential cross-disciplinary internships (see below). This list of host labs/research groups is not exhaustive. Undergraduate and graduate students applicants should reach out to astroparticle physics researchers at Canadian institutions to explore further opportunities.

If you are a faculty member interested in participating in this program, please contact us at any time to have your lab/research group description and details added.

Dr. Miriam Diamond (University of Toronto) 

Professor Diamond in astroparticle physics, University of Toronto, seeks a student with Game Design expertise to join her SuperCDMS group next summer.  SuperCDMS (Cryogenic Dark Matter Search) is a world-leading experiment that looks for interactions of dark matter in cryogenic germanium and silicon detectors equipped with sensors for the thermal energy of particle interactions. The clean, well-shielded detectors are operating deep underground, to avoid interference from cosmic rays. SuperCDMS operated in an underground laboratory in Soudan, Minnesota until 2015.  Now, the collaboration is building an even more powerful version of the experiment in SNOLAB, Canada’s world-leading astroparticle physics facility located 2 km below the surface in the Vale Creighton Mine near Sudbury.  The mission of the SuperCDMS collaboration is not only to detect dark matter, but also to educate and inspire the public about this scientific endeavour which constitutes perhaps the greatest treasure hunt in history.  Prof Diamond is looking for a student to create educational game(s), accessible to the public for free through the collaboration website, incorporating the properties of dark matter as well as the workings of the SuperCDMS detectors. The student will be provided with schematics, including 3D renderings, of the detectors and SNOLAB facility, as well as relevant background information in the field of dark matter.

Dr. Matthew Leybourne (Queen’s University) 

The QFIR laboratory is dedicated to excellence in the measurement and application of trace elements and isotopes to address problems in the geological and geological engineering sciences, chemistry, biology, physics and social sciences. Although the majority of the work done in the laboratory is related to geological applications, we routinely analyze and are involved in research in a wide variety of disciplines, including for example, isotopes in polar bear feces to monitor migration patterns, stable isotopes in bird feathers, isotopic composition of teeth and archeological artifacts, meteorite samples, paleoclimate studies of tree ring chemistry, among many others.  

The laboratory hosts some state-of-the-art equipment and is one of the best-equipped and staffed geochemistry labs in Canada. The lab includes electron microprobe instruments (EMP, SEM), X-ray diffraction, four ICP-MS (including high resolution and multi-collector) instruments for ultra-trace and isotopic analyses, two 193 nm excimer laser ablation systems for in situ analysis of minerals, four gas source mass spectrometers (for light stable [H, O, C, S, N] isotopes), as well as sample and thin section preparation facilities.  

We are looking for interns from almost any discipline, but they must be open to new ideas, to learning new skills, and to sharing knowledge through interaction with lab staff and other interns. Interns are expected to communicate the results of their work at the end of their stay in QFIR. We typically have 3-10 interns in QFIR over the summer, although interns can be embedded at any time throughout the year. We typically assign a small research project for the interns to work on, in addition to general assistance with the general analytical operations. We have the potential for several projects in the area developing new analytical techniques for Se and Te isotopes (both elements have isotopes that are candidates for neutrinoless double beta decay), and in applications for pushing lower detection limits using reaction cell techniques in ICP-MS, related to low background research of importance to the McDonald Institute and also critical in many areas of geochemistry.  

Dr. Simon Viel (Carleton University) 

Professor  Viel is searching for dark matter with the DEAP-3600 experiment located underground at SNOLAB in Sudbury, Ontario. Dark matter is one of the main mysteries in fundamental physics today: while everything we can see directly around us is made of ordinary matter, our most recent models predict that there exists more than 5 times more dark matter than ordinary matter in the Universe.  We are looking to detect very rare interactions of dark matter particles with a liquid argon target in the laboratory. 

Viel’s research group is open to interdisciplinary collaborations, including:

– A student in artificial intelligence or computer science would join the dark matter search directly, bringing the latest in data analysis techniques in software; 

– A student in geology could contribute studies of the overburden above the underground laboratory, which is directly relevant to cosmogenic background rates in experiments – this could be done using muon geotomography with our muon data; 

– A student in economics, history, social geography or Indigenous studies could provide context on the conditions favourable for past, present and future experiments in astroparticle physics in Canada; 

– A student in sociology, linguistics or communication could explore the social dynamics and use of language on a daily basis in our international collaborations.

Dr. Peng Wang (Queen’s University) 

The advancement of many new technologies is empowered by the availability of specific inorganic crystalline compounds. In the field of astroparticle physics, single crystal materials are extensively used as detectors to study the interactions between cosmic radiation and matters. Our research focuses on the discovery and development of inorganic crystalline materials as radiation detectors. In addition to the technological and commercial values, inorganic crystals exhibit intrinsic, natural beauties stemming from their symmetry and optical properties. We are interested in inviting a student with a background in visual arts to showcase the research in crystalline materials to the general public.