Master Thesis Placement in Data acquisition system design TATTOOS target test lab

Master Thesis Placement in Data acquisition system design for the TATTOOS target test lab

The Paul Scherrer Institute PSI is the largest research institute for natural and engineering sciences within Switzerland. We perform cutting‑edge research in the fields of future technologies, energy and climate, health innovation and fundamentals of nature. By performing fundamental and applied research, we work on sustainable solutions for major challenges facing society, science and economy. PSI is committed to the training of future generations.

Therefore, about one quarter of our staff are post‑docs, post‑graduates or apprentices. Altogether, PSI employs 2,300 people.

The PSI Center for Accelerator Science and Engineering is responsible for the construction, operation, and development of the particle accelerators ng the four accelerators, the High Intensity Proton Accelerator HIPA will be upgraded with a new beamline named TATTOOS (Targeted Alpha Tumour Therapy and Other Oncological Solutions) to produce medically relevant radionuclides. The target test lab is a critical experimental platform designed to support and validate target designs before deployment in the TATTOOS production facility.

The target consists of a resistively heated 35 mm diameter and 20 cm long tantalum tube, encapsulated in a water‑cooled target chamber operating in vacuum. The test lab operates at extreme conditions—target temperatures up to 2,400 °C and electrical currents up to 4,000 A—requiring a robust, reliable data acquisition system capable of monitoring 100+ signal channels during test campaigns lasting up to five weeks.

You will be part of the team developing a comprehensive data acquisition and monitoring system in LabVIEW that enables operators to monitor test performances, visualize experimental data in real‑time, and maintain complete data logs for post‑experiment analysis.

• Integrate 100+ measurement channels (temperature, voltage, electrical current, pressure, flow rate)
• Design real‑time monitoring displays for operators
• Implement data logging with appropriate sampling rates
• Software implementation (LabVIEW)
• Documentation: final report and user manual

• Programming experience (Python, LabVIEW, PLC programming, or similar)
• Knowledge of instrumentation and data acquisition systems
• Ability to work in a multidisciplinary/multicultural team environment
• Fluent in English, German is a plus

This placement offers the opportunity to contribute to cutting‑edge research infrastructure while developing expertise in advanced experimental systems applicable to nuclear facilities, industrial processing, and high‑temperature experimental systems.

• High‑temperature process control and instrumentation
• Integration of complex measurements and control systems
• Collaboration with mechanical designers, physicists, and technicians

The duration will be six months, preferably starting in early 2026.

Please note:

the master’s thesis does not involve employment at PSI.

Please submit your application online for the master thesis project (index no. 8142‑25883).