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Faculty
and Student Teams Program
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Project Descriptions
Brookhaven
National Laboratory
Instrumentation Department
Microelectronics Group
Requesting applications from science or engineering faculty members
at institutions serving students underrepresented in science, engineering,
mathematics and technology, to work on the design and assembly of ultra-flat
mosaic focal planes for advanced telescopes.
Project Description The proposed
Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) will provide scientists with views of
the universe that are unmatched by any other existing or proposed instrument.
The size and scope of the LSST will probe deeply into the nature of mysterious
dark energy and dark matter, and its observing speed will create unprecedented
time-lapse imagery of the dynamics of the universe. The 3.2 Gigapixel LSST
camera will be developed by a group of U.S. national laboratories and universities.
Brookhaven National Laboratory will have responsibility for assembling focal
plane sensors into 3x3 mosaics with supporting electronics.
One of the key goals is to develop a mosaic assembly procedure that will place
all nine sensor surfaces parallel and coplanar to within no more than 6.5 microns.
To achieve and maintain this tight mechanical tolerance, we are conducting
R&D on several methods of adjusting the sensors' relative heights and tilts
relative to a reference surface. The FAST team will be involved in prototyping
the mosaic assembly (using dummy sensors) and developing methods to achieve
and measure the coplanarity of the resulting surfaces. They will use a variety
of optical metrology techniques to accurately characterize the sensor assemblies
and investigate the reproducibility and stability of various assembly methods.
Participants in a FAST LSST project at BNL should have hands-on experience
with basic laboratory instruments, data acquisition and analysis software.
Applicants Responsibilities
and Relationship to Project Applicants will receive support
under the Department of Energy Faculty Student Team Research Program (FaST)
to work collaboratively with the project research team at BNL for 10 weeks
during the year starting in June of 2008 Summer and academic year visits to
BNL will be scheduled by mutual agreement between staff in the Instrumentation
Department Microelectronics group and the successful applicant. Ideally faculty
will work at BNL on the project for 10 weeks during the summer in the first
year. Faculty will be expected to identify students from their campus to participate
in the FaST program offered by the Department of Energy at BNL. Faculty will
provide some mentorship and/or advising support to students during the summer
research activities. It is expected that the Faculty member will become an
integral part of the research team working on this project and will support
the project through the academic year on her or his campus.
Qualifications of Ideal Candidate
| Faculty: | Ph.D.
with experience in astrophysics or instrumentation. Works well in a collaborative
environment with students and other researchers. Currently teaches and collaborates
with students in his/her field. Possesses good written and verbal communication
skills. Willing to work at BNL for an extended period during the summer. |
| Student: | Working
towards a BS or BA in physics, computer science or electrical engineering.
Works well in collaboration with faculty, other students, and researchers.
Possesses good written and verbal communication skills. Willing to work at
BNL for an extended period. Willing to perform data collection in the field. |
Support
and Financial Commitments See Financial Information.
For More Information contact:
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