Kristoffer Smedt

Project Title: High-order particle integration for Particle-in-Cell schemes using the Boris algorithm with Spectral-Deferred-Correction (SDC).

Background

Aerospace Engineering, Danish national.

I’ve always wanted to work on the forefront of invention, to tackle the most advanced and difficult technical or science problems within high-performance subjects like aerospace engineering or plasma physics.

Research Interests

Magnetohydrodynamics, plasma and fusion as well as high speed flows and other aerospace applications of fluid dynamics. Computational methods.

My broad research topic is within computational plasma physics, where I study the accuracy and speed gains of using higher order solvers to track the positions and velocities of plasma particles. While this is quite fundamental and theoretical research, it is potentially useful in the kind of simulation software used to model fusion plasmas and spacecraft thrusters.

Why I chose the CDT in Fluid Dynamics

The Leeds University CDT in fluid dynamics presented the optimal opportunity to vastly deepen my understanding of my scientific interests and become a specialist in a worthy topic. The emphasis placed on a cohort approach, a wide base of knowledge in fluid dynamics and close links with industry were the deciding factors in my choice of Leeds University over other opportunities.

The PhD process so far has precipitated some of the greatest leaps in ability and understanding of my time in academia. A large part of these gains I believe are due to having clever colleagues from a variety of backgrounds. At the CDT you are rarely isolated behind a desk, there’s always another research student to talk shop with.