STEI Electrical Engineering Alumni Lead Wakefield Plasma Experiment in Oxford
It was six o'clock in the afternoon when Muhammad Firmansyah Kasim and his friends arrived back in Oxford. Firman was busy traveling back and forth between Oxford and Didcot in England, conducting experiments as part of his doctoral program in the Department of Physics at the University of Oxford. Five days a week, the recipient of a scholarship from the Indonesian Endowment Fund for Education (LPDP), conducted experiments by firing high-powered lasers into gas. The firing of these lasers released electrons and atomic nuclei from the gas. "The collection of electrons and atomic nuclei that are released is called plasma. The plasma element is the object of our experiments." said Firman in a Skype interview with Financial Media.
Amazingly, Firman was chosen by his supervisor on campus to lead the experiment plasma wakefield That. On the team, the youngest of four siblings is the only Indonesian student. The other five researchers include three British students and one American student, both pursuing their doctoral degrees, and one French researcher who is completing his PhD. post-doctoral. Firman said that the experiments he conducted could be classified into the category basic science. In basic scienceThe application of experimental results is not the main focus. The young man, born in Makassar on January 26, 1991, cited the example of electromagnetic wave experiments conducted by scientists in the 1800s. At the time, scientists couldn't predict with certainty the outcome of their research on electromagnetic waves. However, they continued their research. Two hundred years later, Firman recounted, electromagnetic waves have become an inseparable part of everyday life. "The applications of the plasma wakefield experiment aren't something we're particularly concerned about. Our hope is to be able to see the plasma structure and run this experiment in a timely manner." However, Firman added that his research has the potential to be developed to produce high-intensity X-ray sources in smaller media.
Falling in love with physics
Since junior high school, Firman has been studying physics. He has earned several international awards, including a gold medal at the 38th International Physics Olympiad, July 2007 in Isfahan, Iran and gold medal in Asian Physics Olympiad (APhO) in Shanghai, China, April 2007. Firman has also been a member of the Science Olympiad team under the guidance of Yohannes Surya since junior high school. Due to his excellent performance, he was re-entered into the high school Olympiad team. “That's where I fell in love with Physics,” said Firman. After high school, Firman dreams of continuing his studies at the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB). What's interesting is that he was rejected when he entered through the free test route for national Olympic winners. "The certificate I have comes from an international Olympiad, while the one available at ITB is for national Olympiad winners." Firman said. However, he didn't give up. He took the regular entrance exam at the same campus. Through this route, Firman was finally accepted into the Electrical Engineering Department of ITB. Since junior high and high school, Firman had been accustomed to living away from his parents. The many training sessions at the Olympic team training center diverted his sadness from being separated from his parents. Because of his experience living independently, when he had to study in Bandung, Firman didn't have to adjust much.
Internship at CERN
After graduating from ITB, Firman had the opportunity to do an internship at Conseil Europene pour la Recherche Nucleaire(CERN) in Geneva, Switzerland. The CERN internship program was attended by approximately 250 students from around the world who had passed the selection process. From June to August 2013, Firman lived in Geneva. CERN at that time had four main experiments. During his internship, Firman was responsible for, among other things, creating website to load experimental data. "I ended up studying physics and programming there," he said. Firman was one of the earliest Indonesians to work at CERN. When he and his two friends were interning, there was only one other Indonesian working at the prestigious institution. He was Suharyo Sumowidagdo, a LIPI researcher who also served as Firman's supervisor during the internship. The internship period at CERN coincided with his graduation from ITB. Therefore, the admirer of comedian John Oliver had to accept that he would not attend the graduation ceremony. Although initially sad, Firman did not regret his decision. As if to compensate for his absence from graduation, Firman received information about his doctoral admission to the University of Oxford.
LPDP Scholarship
His experience at CERN paved the way for Firman to study at the University of Oxford. From Geneva, he then coordinated with his older siblings to apply for the LPDP scholarship. Coincidentally, his third older sibling had already received the same scholarship. "The folks in Makassar have been very helpful, especially with the paperwork. I'm taking care of everything I can from Geneva." said Firman. In his essay, Firman wrote about his desire to conduct laser experiments, his work at CERN, and his long experience in the world of physics. In the Particle Physics Sub-Department, there were eleven doctoral students in Firman's class. Firman was the only Indonesian student there. Furthermore, he was also the first Indonesian to be active in the Particle Physics Research Institute at CERN. . of Oxford. In the long term, Firman hopes to return to his homeland and dedicate himself to being a researcher.
Sumber: Media Keuangan via LPDP