Dr Karim Malik Project Abstracts

Dr Karim Malik Project Abstracts

BSc Project Abstracts and MSci Review Project Abstracts  (all projects also count towards the Theoretical Physics Degree)

 

Potential flow
The governing equations of fluid dynamics are very difficult to solve in general. However, we can get valuable insights into the physics of fluids by studying simplified systems.

In this project the student will therefore study the governing equations describing simple, 2-dimensional potential flow. The focus is on analytical and semi-analytical methods, using computer algebra packages like Maple or writing simple numerical code.
 

Inflationary Cosmology
In this project the student will review the "standard model" of modern cosmology, with particular focus on the period of accelerated expansion in the early universe called inflation. A strong mathematical background (e.g. Mathematical Techniques 3) is recommended, and some knowledge of General Relativity and Quantum Mechanics is desirable. 

Late universe project
In this project the student will review the "standard model" of modern cosmology, with particular focus on the late time acceleration of the universe, and also some basic general relativity. The observational evidence for the late time acceleration of the universe will be studied, with a brief introduction to dark energy models and modified gravity. A strong mathematical background (e.g. Mathematical Techniques 3, calculus of variations) is recommended, and some knowledge of General Relativity.

​MSci Research/Investigative Project Abstracts  (all projects also count towards the Theoretical Physics Degree)

Inflationary Cosmology
In the first part of this project the student will review the "standard model" of modern cosmology, including the period of accelerated expansion in the early universe called inflation. In the second part of the project the student will deepen the review of modern cosmology, possibly including also the late time acceleration of the universe due to dark energy, and study different models proposed for inflation. The student will derive the equations necessary to compare models of inflation to the observational data, and study these models using the latest data. A strong mathematical background (e.g. Mathematical Techniques 3) is a prerequisite, and some knowledge of General Relativity and Quantum Mechanics is desirable. Also an essential prerequisite is some background in coding (e.g. Fortran or Python). 

Late universe project 
In the first part of this project the student will review some basic general relativity and the "standard model" of modern cosmology. The late time acceleration of the universe and observational evidence for this acceleration will be discussed, with a brief introduction to dark energy models and modified gravity. In the second part of the project the student will deepen the review of dark energy and modified gravity. The student will then derive the equations for the evolution of the density perturbation in the Newtonian limit for different cases, for example a matter dominated universe, and compare this to the full relativistic calculation. Analytical and numerical solutions will be derived using computer algebra packages and/or python. A strong mathematical background (e.g. Mathematical Techniques 3) is a prerequisite, and some knowledge of General Relativity is desirable. Also an essential prerequisite is some background in coding (e.g. Python) and some knowledge of Mathematica or Maple. 

 

Juno Champion

The school holds Juno Champion status, the highest award of this IoP scheme to recognise and reward departments that can demonstrate they have taken action to address the under-representation of women in university physics and to encourage better practice for both women and men.