Ben Thompson – Industrial Placement student working on Super MuSR
22 Jun 2026
Ben is at ISIS on an industrial placement year as a Detector Scientist as part of his integrated master's in physics at the University of Bristol. Ben is testing the scintillator tiles for the Super MuSR detectors as they’re produced: all 960 of them! It’s a race against time for them all to be produced by the team in the STFC Technology Department for him to test them before the end of his placement.
The project initially appealed to him because it not only looked interesting, but because it would produce tangible results. “The detector testing has direct applications: it’s going straight into a beamline that’s used for battery development and superconductor testing,” he explains.
“At university, you’re often left to solve problems on your own, whereas at ISIS there are experts on hand to help you if needed. During undergraduate, you’re also doing experiments that others have completed many times before, but here I’m working on something that no-one else has done, and I’ve been able to design and develop the experimental process myself.”
Ben’s testing has been part of the iterative development loop, as the tiles have been designed specifically for Super MuSR and are all handmade. This means that his testing has flagged up issues caused by changes in production method or resin quality. He’s also had experience of beamtime, to test each assembled stave as a full ensemble in the muon beam. “The most exciting part of the placement was the beamtime. It’s good to see everything working in its final application and realise all myself and my team’s hard work.”
During undergraduate studies, you’re also doing experiments that others have completed many times before, but here I’m working on something that no-one else has done, and I’ve been able to design and develop the experimental process myself.
Ben Thompson
Although based in the detector systems group, Ben has been working closely with the muon group and engineering teams. “It’s been interesting to see how the groups interact and work together.”
“Working here has been great: the work is driven by the research and the people, rather than commercial profit. It’s been nice to be part of ISIS’ cohort of students, and to work alongside an ERASMUS student who was part of the team for a while. During the placement, I have developed my critical thinking and presentation skills, as well as the practical aspects of coding and using new software.”
At the end of his placement, Ben will return to university and will be doing his final year project on superconductors. He’s open to the idea of doing a PhD and maybe being a Super MuSR user of the future!
