Closed Short-term internship at CERN

The HEARTS project branch at CERN is looking for a motivated physics/engineering student to take part in the development of a space radiation effects laboratory using heavy ion beams for irradiating electronic components before they are used on board spacecraft.

Take part and your cutting‑edge research will help to shape the future of the rapidly growing spaceflight sector in Europe and the world!

HEARTS@CERN test campaign control room (Image: CERN)

In August 2026, the HEARTS facility will welcome teams from space industry and academia to CERN for two weeks of irradiation testing with heavy ion beams. You will be involved in the test run preparation, execution and analysis. The necessary commissioning and calibration activities involve a multidisciplinary mix of experimental work with beam detectors and Monte Carlo simulations of beam properties, which are both needed to ensure optimal performance and reliable results.

You will help assess the facility performance through structured post‑processing and analysis of the beam instrumentation data.

• Workstation: CERN near Geneva (Switzerland). You will be part of the Radiation to Electronics (R2E) team within the SY-STI-BMP Beam Matter Interaction Physics section, in charge of the development of the FLUKA.CERN Monte Carlo simulation code.
• Tentative starting date: 1st of May 2026 (can be discussed).

• Pursuing a bachelor/master degree in physics, aeronautical or electronic engineering or a related field.
• Basic knowledge of semiconductor physics and circuits; application of instrumentation and measurement techniques; analytic and critical mind with strong data processing and programming skills. Any experience with Monte Carlo simulations is considered a plus.
• Communicative and collaborative spirit with problem‑solving competencies, ability to work in teams but also driven to achieve results independently, capable of presenting and sharing results.
• Written and spoken proficiency in English.