Mount Allison physics student presents at national Women in Physics Conference
2011-08-24 14:27:20
SACKVILLE, NB — Fourth-year honours physics student Marisa Smith was recently invited to the national Women in Physics Conference at the University of Waterloo's Perimeter Institute. Smith, who serves as co-president of the Mount Allison physics society, presented her research entitled “Using Antimatter to Aid in the Design of Safer more Efficient Nuclear Power Plants” that she is completing with members of both the physics and biochemistry and chemistry departments.
Smith travelled to the conference on a full scholarship, representing Mount Allison. The annual conference is held each year and sees female physics students and faculty from across Canada participate.
A resident of Moncton, NB, Smith is currently at the TRIUMF research facility in Vancouver completing her project. She explains, “We are doing research on the chemical reaction of the hydrogen atom with water under sub- and supercritical conditions. Supercritical water is water above the critical point (373.9 C and 220.6 bar). This reaction is one of the most important reactions in the next generation of nuclear reactors called Gen IV, where supercritical water will be used as a coolant. We have been studying this reaction by the muSR experimental technique. muSR is the only technique that is able to work under these extreme conditions to provide kinetics data and it can be a billion times more sensitive than other techniques.”
A Dean's List student and the Varma Scholar Intern for the Mount Allison physics department this year, Smith is just as busy outside the lab. Throughout her time at Mount Allison she has been an active member of the Mounties Swim Team, receiving Rookie of Year, MVP, Academic All-Canadian honours, and serving as co-captain in 2011-12. She also worked as a residence assistant and has been involved with the Mount Allison physics society for several years, currently serving as co-president.
Smith plans to continue her education, pursuing a master's degree in bio-medicinal physics following her graduation from Mount Allison in 2012.