APPLAuSE

Ana Dias
Ana holds an MSc degree in Physics Engineering from IST / University of Lisbon. She works as a volunteer in her community since 2004, mainly as a Sunday school teacher and as a Math tutor.
Since her master thesis she has been working as a research fellow at the Gas Discharges and Gaseous Electronics Group of IPFN on a subject that has a huge relevance in the research area: low-temperature plasma science and engineering applied to carbon nanostructures synthesis.
Her passion for physics began as a high school student in 2004, when she attended the IPFN summer school program on fusion and plasma physics, headed by Prof. Carlos Varandas. She became interested in plasma science during her first undergraduate cycle, when she attended the Plasma Physics course lectured by Profs. Carlos Matos Ferreira and Elena Tatarova. Their passion and commitment motivated her to pursue a research career in this area.
She has authored several conference proceedings and is the co-author of two papers in AIP and IOP journals.

ines.vieitas@ist.utl.pt
Thesis Abstract

Diogo Aguiam
Diogo obtained his MsC in Electronics Engineering from IST in 2013 with a thesis on eddy currents non destructive testing.
As an undergraduate student he was a representative at the university’s pedagogic council, and received the Best in Class and Best Graduate awards. He took part in the N3E robotics student group, and gave electronics workshops to summer school students.
His main interests are engineering, technology and entrepreneurship, having participated in the finals of the Junior Achievement start-up competition in 2013. Currently he is working in nuclear fusion diagnostics systems.

diogo.aguiam@tecnico.ulisboa.pt
Thesis Abstract

Jayanath Koliyadu (Vice-Delegate)
Jayanath comes from Payyanur, Kerala, India. He has a bachelors degree in Physics (2007-2010) from Kannur University, Kerala, and an MSc in Physics specialized in Laser and Optics (2010- 2012) from Pondicherry Central University, India, with a thesis titled “Z-Scan Using Elliptical Gaussian Beams”.
He did a 6-month project for the MSc degree in experimental nonlinear optics. He was also the organizer and financial secretary for REFLECTIONS 2011 and organizer for REFLECTIONS 2012 – a small-scale science festival conducted in Pondicherry University by the Department of Physics.
During 2012-13 he did a 1-year research project under the National Photonics Fellowship of India in the field of Nanophotonics in Laser Biomedical Application and Instrumentation Division, Raja Ramanna Center for Advanced Technology, Indore, India, on the topic “spatial and spectral characteristics of gaussian beam scattering from micro-spheres “.
His current research interests are Laser Plasma Interactions and Laser Physics.

jayanathkoliyadu@tecnico.ulisboa.pt
Thesis Abstract

João Loureiro (Delegate)
A native of Lisbon, João studied at IST where he got the MSc Degree in Engineering Physics.
He has always had a strong interest in experimental physics, and in particular in plasmas and fusion. This eventually became his field of work when he started collaborating with IPFN during his BSc degree. It started as a the course final project and evolved into a master project, for which he was granted a junior researcher scholarship.
In the scope of the Erasmus Program he spent a year at the Technical University in Eindhoven where he attended the courses of the MSc in Science and Technology of Nuclear Fusion.
He is currently working with magnetically confined nuclear fusion devices., in particular the diagnostics in the scrape of layer to study the heath transport in this region.
Having electronics as one of his hobbies, he has built several projects such as an electric guitar pedal and an animated LED cube.

jpsloureiro@ipfn.ist.utl.pt
Thesis Abstract

Norberto Catarino
Norberto was born in Boticas and grew in Mirandela, Northeast Portugal. He received his BSc in physics from the University of Porto and his MSc in Nuclear and Particle Physics from the University of Lisbon.
After graduation he started his research activity at CTN, working on magnetic nanolayers of wide band gap semiconductors for spintronics applications. He specialized in the operation of the Van de Graff accelerator, electronic and nuclear systems acquisition and position sensitive detector, and took part in two runs for beam emission channeling experiments in real time to structural location in the ISOLDE facility, CERN.
In the course of his MSc thesis he worked in the SPIRIT Project, increasing his skills in ion beam techniques. During these projects he gradually became involved in the research on materials for fusion reactors due to the participation in JET’s work program of the Ion Beam Laboratory. He contributed to the installation, test and implementation of the JET chamber and a new IBA beam line and surface analysis of tiles and samples exposed to the first JET campaigns with the ITER-Like Wall.
As an hobbyist photographer, he has participated in several competitions and marathons, and collaborated with Karingana Wa Karingana, a project that promotes Portuguese-speaking in the world, by collecting school supplies.

norberto.catarino@ctn.ist.utl.pt
Thesis Abstract

Susana Espinho
Susana graduated from IST with a Master’s Degree in Physics Engineering.
She has worked as a research fellow at the Plasma Engineering Laboratory, as a member of IPFN’s Gas Discharges and Gaseous Electronics Group. There, she investigated extreme ultraviolet radiation emitted by microwave-driven discharges at low pressure conditions.
She has published a paper in Applied Physics Letters, and several contributions in international conference proceedings. Her research interests include the study of microwave plasmas composed by different gas mixtures and spectroscopy diagnostics in the extreme UV region.

susana.espinho@ist.utl.pt
Thesis Abstract

Syed Shah
Syed worked as a fusion researcher for more than six years at the National Tokamak Fusion Program, the first Pakistani venture towards Magnetic Confinement Fusion devices.
He proved himself an active researcher and enjoyed both experimental and theoretical work in Pakistan. With a consistently brilliant academic profile, he received the Gold Medal for securing the top position in his Physics Master degree and was awarded a fellowship for his MSc in Nuclear Engineering in a countrywide contest.
He is currently studying plasma rotation during disruptions.

syed.shah@tecnico.ulisboa.pt
Thesis Abstract