 |  |
The third GLADNET training course was held from 21st to 23rd August in Belgrade (Serbia), hosted by the Physics Faculty of Belgrade University. The link programme for the meeting can be found at the end of this page. The meeting was timed to allow participants to also attend the 24th Summer School and international Symposium on the Physics of Ionized Gases (SPIG) which was held in Novi Sad the following week.
This GLADNET course was attended by 15 of the appointed Experienced Researchers (ER) and Early Stage Researchers (ESR); one very recently appointed ESR was unable to attend due to delays in obtaining the necessary travel documents. Also present for much of the meeting were local scientists and students with overlapping interests and several representatives of GLADNET member organisations.
The main theme of the meeting was diagnostic measurements on plasmas, and the talks included both a revision of plasma physics (essentially summarising aspects of talks from the first GLADNET training meeting) and a general introduction to plasma diagnostic measurements together with talks by specialists on the use of spectral line width measurements from both hydrogen-like and non hydrogen-like species to infer electron temperature and density; the use of modern laser spectroscopic techniques to infer especially electron temperature and electric fields and the use of optogalvanic signals to probe plasma properties and to test models.
Additional scientific presentations by guest speakers were given on how to handle measurement uncertainties from analytical data; the classification, properties and possible applications of carbon nanotubes; and an overview of radio-frequency discharges (not confined to glow discharges) which integrated theoretical concepts with laboratory measurements. Part of one afternoon was dedicated to oral presentations by those GLADNET appointees who would not be presenting any results at SPIG meeting, and a poster session was held by the remaining appointees. An additional presentation (from an editorial perspective) was made on how to prepare a scientific paper for peer reviewed publication, together with a clear description of how a manuscript is processed by a typical journal. A workshop style discussion on how to write a proposal for research funding was held, with two case studies of academic proposals from the United Kingdom. This led to a short description of how a typical academic research group is funded and the timescale on which funds must be sought. A brief tour of the local discharge spectroscopy laboratory was made where both microwave powered and d.c. discharges could be seen operating.
At the meeting, an election was held to choose who should represent the ERs and ESRs on the GLADNET steering committee as Dr. Petr Smid had decided to step down. Petr should be thanked for his work, and we hope that Deborah and Varvara will continue the good work.
The accommodation for the meeting was a short walk from the physics department where the meeting was held, right in the centre of Belgrade. The weather during the meeting was spectacularly good, although very hot, and on the Friday evening the majority of attendees found time to visit the Belgrade Beer festival. Unfortunately, the author of this report had to return home before the official social programme of the meeting took place on the Saturday afternoon.
Many thanks are due to both the local organisers (Prof. Nikola Konjevic and Nikola Sisovic) for enabling a smoothly run meeting, and to the training committee, especially Prof. Steers, for ensuring a rich and varied programme of talks.
Pictures of the event are available on our GLADNET Photo Album and some of the training courses can be downloaded as pdf file on the next page.
James Whitby
Thun, September 2008
