Profile

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Sara Morales Vigo

    • About Me:

      I am a Spanish physicist that lives in Geneva, Switzerland. When I am not working in the largest particle accelerator in the world, you will probably find me dancing or hanging out with my friends! I really enjoy traveling and sports in general.

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      If I was not a physicist I would have probably tried to become a classical dancer. I started taking ballet lessons when I was 4 years old and I still am today, as well as modern jazz.

      I love live music and try to go to as many concerts as I can. I have seen Taylor Swift (my favorite artist!), Beyonce, Ed Sheeran, Raye, Harry Styles, Macklemore, Rosalia, and many other Spanish artists.

      I also enjoy spending time with my family and friends, even if we are not doing anything special, just talking is one of my favorite activities.

      I am a fan of sports and I go bouldering once a week. On the weekends, I like to travel and discover new places!

       

    • My pronouns are:

      she/her

    • My Work:

      I work with particle detectors that are located all around the largest particle accelerator in the world: the Large Hadron Collider.

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      My job is to analyze the signals of the so-called “Beam Loss Monitors” in the Large Hadron Collider. These are some cylindrical particle detectors full of nitrogen that are placed all along the accelerator. They measure the particles that “escape” the circulating beams and start impacting other elements of the accelerator. This can happen due to multiple reasons – a magnet that stops working, an element that is inserted in the beam pipe, repulsion between the charged beam particles…

      I work with a large team of people, and together we agree on limits on these signals to make sure that no elements in the accelerator get damaged due to the impact from these lost particles.

       

    • My Typical Day:

      I wake up at around 7:30am, have breakfast with my partner (cereals with yogurt) and head to my office, which is placed near the CERN Control Center. Depending on the day, I might have to run some analysis, attend meetings or discuss my results with colleagues. Every once in a while I have to go down to the particle accelerator (around 100 metres underground!) to work on the system I am responsible of. Normally I have lunch with my friends or colleagues, and continue work in the afternoon until around 5.30 or 6pm. After that, I go dancing, bouldering, or I meet my friends for dinner.

    CV

    • Education:

      I went to primary, middle and high school in my hometown – Algeciras, close to Gibraltar. Then I moved to Seville and studied a degree in Physics. I was also in Bordeaux, France, for one year as part of an Erasmus scholarship.

      After that, I got an internship at CERN, where I stayed to do my PhD, that I defended in January this year. I am currently at CERN with a postdoc position.

    • Current Job:

      Applied physicist

    • Employer:

      CERN, Geneva

    • My Interview

      • How would you describe yourself in 3 words?

        dancing queen physicist

        What did you want to be after you left school?

        I wanted to be a dancer or a scientist

        Were you ever in trouble at school?

        I was a very good student, but every once in a while I was caught chatting with my friends!

        If you weren't doing this job, what would you choose instead?

        Dancing!

        Who is your favourite singer or band?

        Taylor Swift

Questions answered by Sara

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