Riccardo Morgan, PhD Student
Some of you may remember me from last year, when I stayed at SPC for my master thesis. I can now say I’m delighted to be back for a PhD. I come from Monza, Italy (you know it if you’re a Formula1 fan) and I’m 25.
I have studied nuclear engineering in Milan, driven by my passion for fusion and its future implications. My master thesis, conducted on TCV, revolved around SOL turbulence and divertor heat fluxes. My PhD will focus on impurities studies exploiting MANTIS, under the supervision of Olivier and Christian.
I’m a quite easygoing person and will be happy to know you better. I enjoy mountain hikes and all kinds on natural activities: don’t forget to count me in for those. I love music and I am a (very) amateur guitar player.
Jean-Pierre Svantner, PhD Student
I began my PhD at SPC in September, focusing on Tokamak disruption analysis using the DINA code. I recently graduated from EPFL’s Mechanical Engineering program, specializing in fluid mechanics. My main interests lie in the numerical analysis of physical systems, particularly studying their dynamics and stability, making Tokamak research an exciting area for me.
Outside of work, I play for the UNIL-EPFL ice hockey team, and I enjoy hiking and woodworking in my free time.
Salomon Guinchard, PhD Student
I recently started my PhD here at SPC under the supervision of both Joan and Stefano. I will be working on runaway electrons and fast ions in tokamaks, mainly by means of the LUKE code. Before that I did my master at SPC as well where I worked on stellarators.
Besides that, I am passionate about music, mainly classical and jazz, and I play the piano. I would be very happy to share with you about music, your favorite pieces, instruments and so on. I am also fond of
sports, especially cycling and swimming. Feel free to propose rides or swims in the lake while the water is warm enough! 🙂
I don’t know all of you yet, but I’m looking forward to it!
Thomas Nes, Postdoc
I’m 30 years old, and originally from the Netherlands. I have a background in applied physics, which I studied at the University of Twente. For my PhD, I conducted research on a new geometry for accelerator magnets, in collaboration with CERN and the University of Twente.
Now, I’m starting as a post-doc in the Superconductivity Group, where I’ll be working on the EDIPO 2 magnet at PSI. This magnet will be used for testing conductors for high-field magnets in the EDIPO testing facility.
In my free time, I love being outdoors, whether it’s hiking, going on bicycle tours, or tackling Via Ferrata in the mountains. These activities give me a sense of freedom and adventure, and they’re what I enjoy the most.
Sergio García Herreros, PhD Student
I am 23 years old and I was born and raised in Madrid, Spain. I am a sociable and outgoing person, who enjoys being in an international atmosphere and sharing stories and experiences. I also really like travelling and trying new things. From a young age I have been interested in skateboarding and I also fancy outdoor activities in general (hiking, cycling, etc). I currently speak Spanish and English but I am determined to learn French and Italian during my PhD.
Regarding my background, I studied my Bachelor in physics in Spain at Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM) which was four years long. After that I became interested in nuclear fusion and its foreseeable implications in society. Therefore, I enrolled in the Erasmus Mundus Master programme FUSION-EP, where I spent two years abroad, first in Ghent (Belgium) and then in Nancy (France). I did my Master Thesis in collaboration with Raúl Sánchez from Universidad Carlos III de Madrid about MHD equilibria in the presence of plasma flows and pressure anisotropy.
I am now excited to start my PhD at the SPC and I look forward to learning a lot and to keep on working on fusion.
Benjamin Brown, PhD Student
I’m happy to say I’m starting my doctoral studies with Holger and Olivier, after having some fun last year with Helios. I’ll be working on diagnostics for the upcoming tightly baffled long-legged divertor for TCV.
In my spare time, I love singing and playing the oboe. I’m also a big fan of climbing, hiking, sailing, and camping. Looking forward to meeting all of you if I haven’t already!