Sophia Rier, former student, School of Physics, Engineering and Technology

Email: lsr1738@york.ac.uk

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0904-5227

Open

This case study details a two-year project which investigated potential schemes for fusion energy and then developed resources to communicate this research to underserved communities. The researcher reflects on the benefit that engaging in open research had for them during the research process, and then later through highlighting the importance of outreach materials being accessible and engaging to different audiences, in both visual and auditory formats. The researcher also personally reflects on the benefits that open and accessible learning materials has had for their education, leading them to engage in resource development for the next generation of researchers.

This two-year project focused on both investigating potential schemes for fusion energy as well as developing outreach material to garner interest in physics and provide learning resources for underserved communities.

In the first year, individual research was undertaken in modelling material density of inertial confinement fusion (ICF) targeting cones. This work and subsequent results were shared amongst the researchers at the YPI, as well as communicated to peers at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire. This work highlighted weaknesses and potential areas of improvement in the simulation code ZEPHYROS as well as provided new insights into the material with which ICF targeting cones are made. The collaboration across both research institutions was an invaluable way of gaining not just research experience but an insight into how research is shared and built upon within the physics community. The researcher learned how to plan, execute, and present a self-contained project that was entirely self-managed, and would benefit other physicists in the field. Engaging and collaborating with such a devoted and constructive team of researchers gave the researcher crucial experience in the field and with the topic material as well as a deeper appreciation of the benefits of transparency in research. The researcher was able to reach out and talk to a wide network of experts and adjust their practices quickly and easily to adapt to new information or insight from other physicists. Even though it was an individual project, embracing open research in practice made the researcher feel like they always had a team behind them.

The second year of this project was solely focused on developing outreach material to bring the world of fusion physics to schools in Yorkshire. Objectives were to develop a series of short virtual reality (VR) animations and audio narrations that could explain different aspects of fusion and fusion energy in a way that would be accessible and understandable to young audiences, particularly students in underserved communities that would not otherwise be exposed to the topic. The outreach team at the school of physics, engineering, and technology (PET) is an incredibly dedicated and talented team driven by the desire to bring physics to every student in the area regardless of education level or ability. As someone who went to schools without many STEM resources, the researcher became interested in physics by watching Youtube videos as a child. They mention that they probably owe their astrophysics degree to Michael from VSauce! They say that they had never seen these topics before they watched the videos, and now they study them for a living, so they know the impact that easy to access and easy to understand learning resources can have on young students. Yorkshire is home to a lot of low-income schools and students who often don’t have the resources to learn about the science the researcher does for a living. But the researcher found that these obstacles can be overcome if someone is willing to take the time to make learning accessible to everyone.

• Preprint on the Laidlaw Scholars repository: https://laidlawscholars.network/documents/research-paper-05582034-a0b1-449a-b19d-4c0c70420847

• Poster on the Laidlaw Scholars repository: https://laidlawscholars.network/documents/research-poster-77c615f3-c63d-4cf4-851c-ba569efef61e

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