Master Instrumentation Measurement Metrology - Instrumentation and Measurement Science for Major Nuclear Research Facilities (IMSci-Nu)

This course is dedicated to major facilities in the nuclear field. This course was created in 2022 by Aix-Marseille University thanks to the support and interest of 23 partners (Universities, Research institutions, Nuclear Centers and Companies; 6 in France and 17 abroad: CEA, EDF, IRSN, MIT-USA, Univ. Lancaster-UK, Univ. Michigan-USA, Penn state Univ.-USA, JSI-Slovenia, SCK-CEN-Belgium, NCBJ-Poland, CAEN-Italy, CNESTEN-Morocco, IEAP-Czech Republic, RBI-Croatia…).

We benefit from an exceptional environment in the Région SUD due to the construction of two major international infrastructures, respectively in fusion with ITER and in fission with the Jules Horowitz Reactor, but also due to other facilities at the CEA's Cadarache center such as WEST (Tungsten Environment Steady-state Tokamak, Tokamak in fusion by magnetic confinement), RES (test reactor dedicated to studies on nuclear propulsion), CABRI (safety research reactor), numerous associated experimental platforms and neutron facilities (generators, accelerators).
This environment and the associated research potential with a strong international component require high-level graduates in the field of instrumentation and measurement science in nuclear environments.

The objective of the IMSci-Nu program is to train specialist researchers, project managers and engineers able to choose instrumentation (sensors, diagnostics, detectors, acquisition system) and implement measurements in order to carry out experimental physics work for major facilities and associated equipment/devices in the field of nuclear energy (nuclear fission, fusion, research reactor and tokamak), and to interpret the results thanks to numerical simulations, if necessary.

The main scientific skills to be acquired are:

• a knowledge of nuclear reactions, radiation/matter interactions, nuclear physics
• a strong knowledge of the various major research facilities in terms of operating principles, experimental constraints/conditions, societal and research issues (reactors and tokamaks)
• a mastering of nuclear instrumentation and detection, diagnostics
• an expertise in experimental and measurement sciences (measurement chain, metrology, ergonomics, experimental design and feedback, signal processing and data analysis)
• a knowledge of numerical modeling

The main soft skills to be acquired are:

• be able to identify and use information sources on nuclear standards
• ensure a scientific and bibliographic watch and be able to write scientific documents
• know the rules and practices of intellectual property and patents
• conduct and organize a scientific research project
• work in a multidisciplinary team and in autonomy
• use knowledge of interculturality in international nuclear projects
• master the English language
• communicate with scientific and international codes

• A first year of master (M1) or a master degree (M2) or a master of science degree (MSc) in instrumentation or metrology or applied sciences or nuclear physics or physics or physics-chemistry or material sciences or thermal sciences or energy or engineering sciences or microelectronics or fluid mechanics
• Engineer degree in instrumentation or metrology or applied science or nuclear physics or physics or physics-chemistry or material sciences or thermal sciences or energy or microelectronics or fluid mechanics

This program is a comprehensive track including lectures, seminars performed by prestigious international scientists and experts, hands-on activities, remote experiments on nuclear facilities, research project, internship, visits of facilities, and winter school.

The IMSci-Nu program is composed of 7 education units:

• Fundamentals in nuclear fission and fusion (6 ECTS)
• Major nuclear facilities and challenges (6 ECTS)
• Nuclear detection, instrumentation and fusion diagnostics (12 ECTS)
• Modeling and experimental work (6 ECTS)
• Interculturality, international communication and scientific seminars (6 ECTS)
• Research project (6 ECTS)
• Professionalization and Internship (18 ECTS)

The hands-on activities associated to the Education Unit “Modeling and Experimental Work” are carried out at Aix-Marseille University and thanks to online remote experiments on major nuclear facilities (Reactor of the MIT: MITR-USA, Reactor of the JSI TRIGA-Slovenia).

The “Research project” Unit involves several laboratories of Aix-Marseille University providing state-of-the-art topics in the fission and the fusion fields.

The IMSci-Nu program includes a 1-week winter school with several talks given by international partners (MIT-USA, JSI-Slovenia, University of Lancaster, University of Michigan, IPFN-Portugal, SCK-CEN-Belgium, CAEN Spa-Italy, University of Pisa, UKAEA-UK…), with a visit of the CEA (Cadarache center) and with a poster session (posters realized by IMSci-Nu students on their work conducted in the education unit “Research Project” and by PhD students).

The IMsci-Nu students benefit from a team of supervisors involved in different high-level joint research programs conducted in nuclear instrumentation and involved in international conferences such as ANIMMA.

The IMSci-Nu students benefit from an important sustained network of Alumni of the Filière Instrumentation (Instrumentation service in charge of the 5 tracks of the Master Instrumentation, Measurement, Metrology (IMM, 150 students per academic year) inside the Physics Department of the Sciences Faculty of Aix-Marseille University). A mentoring event is organized each academic year with IMM students, partners, sponsors, companies to develop links between various actors.

Morever, the IMSci-Nu students benefit from various actions developed within the framework of the graduate school of ISFIN institute (seminars, thematic days, visits, scholarships).

There are two kinds of scholarship.
TIGER master’s Excellence scholarships (A*MIDEX foundation program) enables to finance international students with excellent backgrounds and other scholarships from ISFIN institute are available for students never enrolled in an Aix-Marseille University degree.