QUB - School of Mathematics and Physics

Congratulations to Dr Peter Parsons, who successfully defended his PhD on Friday, 12th June 2026.
Title: Laser-driven Proton Beam Propagation and Focusing in Low-density Plasmas
Supervisor: Dr Charlotte Palmer
Picture:
Left: Dr Satya Kar, Internal Examiner
Centre: Dr Peter Parsons
Right: Prof Jörg Schreiber, External Examiner, Ludwig-Maximilians Universität München, Germany
On Screen: Dr Gareth Tribello, Independent Convenor

Deadline to register now extended to 5th June!

🔬 The Institute of Physics is offering a FREE “Bargain Basement Physics” workshop for primary and post-primary teachers—helping bring physics to life using simple, low-cost materials.
📅 15 June | 📍 Stranmillis University College
👉 Register before 22 May: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/V78ZLM/

Interested in studying Physics at university?

Join us for Experience Physics at Queen’s University Belfast, an in person event for students studying AS Level Physics and Mathematics (or equivalent).

📅 17, 18 & 19 June 2026
⏰ 10:00–16:30
📍 Main Physics Building, QUB

✅ Hands on experiments
✅ Research lab tours
✅ Meet current Physics students
✅ Lunch provided

⚠️ Limited spaces available, early registration is recommended.
👉 Please note the programme is the same each day.

📝 Register now:
🔗 go.qub.ac.uk/ExperiencePhysics2026
⏳ Deadline: 8 May 2026

Questions? 📧 [email protected]

✨ Summer Opportunity for Undergraduates ✨

The Astrophysics Research Centre is offering several paid undergraduate internships this summer 🚀

🗓️ Application deadline: 8 May

🔭 Further details, including project descriptions, eligibility and how to apply, can be found here:

👉 http://go.qub.ac.uk/ARCSummerInternships

📷 Image credit: NASA Goddard

UPDATE

We’re delighted by the overwhelming response to our Primary School STEM Programme ✨

All spaces have now been taken — thank you to everyone who registered their interest.

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We’re excited to offer our Primary School STEM Programme to Primary 6 and Primary 7 classes 🎓

These free Physics and Astronomy workshops are:

• Hands‑on and interactive
• Aligned with the NI curriculum
• Suitable for the whole class
• Delivered in your classroom
• Fully resourced — no preparation needed

⚠️ Limited places available

👉 Find out more and register your interest: go.qub.ac.uk/PrimaryPhysics

Thank You for Joining Us! 🌌✨

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us last Thursday for Beyond the Horizon, our NI Science Festival talk exploring the future of astronomy.

It was fantastic to see the Larmor Lecture Theatre filled with curious minds eager to learn how the Vera C. Rubin Observatory is transforming the way we observe and understand the Universe.

We’re grateful to our speakers for their fascinating insights, and to our audience for the brilliant questions and engagement throughout the evening.

Events like this are a great reminder of the power of public science and shared discovery. 🔭

Congratulations to Dr Lindsey Lynch, who successfully defended her PhD on Wednesday, 11th February 2026.
Title: Electrothermal and Structural Characterisation of Ferroelectric Domain Walls in Lithium Niobate

Supervisor: Dr Ray McQuaid
Picture from left to right:
Prof Brian Rodriguez, External Examiner, University College Dublin, ROI
Dr Lindsey Lynch
Prof Robert Bowman, Internal Examiner
Not pictured: Dr Lorenzo Stella, Independent Convenor

🌌 Beyond the Horizon | A public talk on the future of astronomy

Join us for Beyond the Horizon, a free NI Science Festival talk exploring one of the most exciting new observatories in the world - the Vera C. Rubin Observatory.

In this session, Prof. Mario Jurić (University of Washington) and Dr Meg Schwamb (Queen’s University Belfast) will introduce:

🔭 How the Rubin Observatory is mapping the sky at an unprecedented scale
🌍 What this means for exploring the Solar System and the wider Universe
💡 How members of the public can take part in real astronomical discovery

With the world’s largest digital camera and the ability to capture huge sections of the sky in a single image, the Rubin Observatory is set to transform how we observe the Universe — and this talk explains why it matters.

📍 Larmor Lecture Theatre, Queen’s University Belfast
📅 Thursday 19 February
⏰ 7:00 pm
🎟️ Free event | Part of the NI Science Festival

👉 Register for your free ticket https://nisciencefestival.com/event/beyond-the-horizon-the-next-leap-in-astronomy-with-the-vera-c-rubin-observatory/

🧠✨ Tyndall Lecture 2026 at Queen’s

Today we welcomed students to the Tyndall Lecture 2026, featuring an inspiring talk by Dr Felix Flicker titled “How to Grow a Quantum Computer.”

From room-sized computers to quantum crystals, the lecture explored how physics is shaping the future of computing and how new states of matter could unlock the next big breakthrough. 🔬⚛️

A huge thank you to Dr Flicker and to all the schools who joined us for an exciting lunchtime of physics and discovery 👏