James Peter Gomes, an undergraduate Physics student at Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB), has achieved a remarkable feat by participating in the prestigious CERN Summer Student Program 2024.
James, who is also affiliated with IUB’s Center for Computational and Data Sciences (CCDS) as a research student, was the sole Bangladeshi selected from over 10,500 global applicants.
He joined 300 students in the fully-funded, eight-week program held at CERN’s Meyrin site in Geneva, Switzerland, from June 24 to August 16, 2024.
CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, is renowned for its groundbreaking work in particle physics, particularly through the Large Hadron Collider (LHC).
James worked with the LHCb (Large Hadron Collider beauty) Detector Group (EP-LBD), focusing on CP violation—an important asymmetry between particles and antiparticles vital for cosmological studies.
His contribution involved testing and integrating the GPU-based simulation prototype, AdePT, into the Gaussino simulation framework to enhance particle physics simulations for the LHCb experiment.
James praised the program's comprehensive support, which included health insurance, travel allowance, and a daily stipend, as well as access to CERN’s advanced labs and resources.
He highlighted the interdisciplinary nature of the program, noting that many participants came from Computer Science and Engineering backgrounds.
His prior experience with specialized tools like ROOT, Pythia8, GEANT4, and FeynCalc proved essential in securing the opportunity.
Expressing gratitude, James thanked his mentor, Dr Arshad Momen, director of research and professor at IUB's Department of Physical Sciences, for his invaluable guidance throughout his journey.
