Muons are a valuable and versatile probe of condensed matter. The µSR (muon spin rotation / relaxation / resonance) spectroscopic techniques are used to investigate magnetic, superconducting, semiconducting, molecular, ionic and metallic systems.
The aim of the Muon Spectroscopy Training School is to provide a practical training course for Ph.D. students and post-doctoral researchers on the use of muons in condensed matter research. The ISIS Pulsed Source, at the STFC's Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL), is home to the world's most intense beam of pulsed muons for condensed matter investigations. Topics covered will enable participants to gain the maximum benefit from future facility time, provide valuable experience of working at a large, international facility and improve knowledge in related fields such as computing and cryogenics.
The Muon Spectroscopy Training Schools run for five days and consist of lectures in the muon technique to complement experiments using the four muon spectrometers at ISIS; each participant will have the opportunity to perform two different experiments. It will be run by ISIS Muon Facility staff, who between them have over one hundred years of experience in muon spectroscopy, together with external researchers who are experts in their respective fields of condensed matter science. Full notes will accompany the lectures and practical work.
The cost of the school, accommodation and reasonable travel costs for UK researchers to attend is met by ISIS. We have a grant from the EC Neutron and Muon Integrated Infrastructure Initiative to cover the costs for European participants. Researchers from outside the UK and Europe have to meet their own travel and subsistence costs.
Applications and Selection Criteria
The application procedure for the training school is conducted by electronic submission of a form requiring sections to be filled out by the applicant and their supervisor/advisor. The form can be accessed at:
http://wwwisis2.isis.rl.ac.uk/useroffice/MuonTrainingSchool2012/Application.asp
The closing date for applications is 13th January 2012.
The number of applications to attend the Muon Spectroscopy Training School has always exceeded the number of places available on the course, and so we have a selection procedure for allocating the places. The criteria used are as follows:
Preference is given to students at the beginning of their studies; we have no preference between Ph.D. students or Post-doctoral researchers.
Preference is given to applicants who will make a major use of muon spectroscopic techniques in their studies.
We would prefer to have students from as many institutions as possible.
For further information about the training school please contact Dr Peter Baker (peter.baker[at]stfc.ac.uk) or Dr Philip King (Philip.king[at]stfc.ac.uk) directly.
The ISIS Muon Spectroscopy Training School is funded by ISIS and by the EC Neutron and Muon Integrated Infrastructure Initiative.
Previous muon training courses were held in 2010, 2008 and 2005. The lecture notes and group photos are available on the following web pages
