Owenza I-PhD Kwi-Astrophysics Ukhethwe Waba Omunye Wabazohlomula Kwi-Prestigious International PhD Programme

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Owenza i-PhD kwi-Astrophysicse-UKZN Astrophysics Research Centre (ARC) uMnu Brandon Bisschoff ungomunye kwabalishumi ezwenikazi i-Afrika wabaqokiwe ukuba babe yingxwenye yohlelo lwe-“100 PhD’s for Africa” olwenziwa nge- École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) e-Switzerland.

Lolu hlelo luyingxenye ye-EPFL’s Excellence in Africa (EXAF) nokuyisikhungo socwaningo esaqalwa kanye ne- Université Mohammed VI Polytechnique (UM6P) e-Morocco ukuthuthukisa ucwaningo, ukuqeqeshwa kanye nokugqugquzela ushintsho e-Afrika.

Lolu hlelo lwe-EXAF, luqhuba phambili imigomo emithathu yalesi sikhungo, nokuwukulekelela labo abenza iziqu zobuDokotela (PhD) ababhalise futhi abagadwe ezikhungweni zemfundo ephakeme ezise-Afrika ngokuthi babanikeze uxhaso lwezimali lokuqhuba izifundo zabo, baphinde babanike i-co-supervision kaSolwazi ose-EPFL kanjalo nethuba lokuvakashela isikhungo i-EPFL ne-UM6P ngesikhathi samaholide asebusika nasehlobo nalapho kuqhuthswa khona i-summer/winter school, ama-workshops kanye nezingqungquthela. Lolu hlelo luhlose kakhulu ukusungula nokuvuselela imikhakha yalabacwaningi ukuze ithuthukise izwekazi i-Afrika kwezomnotho nokuthuthukisa imiphakathi.

Lolu hlelo oluhlele ukuba abafundela iziqu zobuDokotela balethe ama-proposal abo luhehe abafundi ababalelwa cishe kwabangama-854 abasuka emazweni angama-37 asezwenikazi i-Afrika kodwa kwathathwa abayi-10 kuphela, loku bekuncike kakhulu kwikhwalithi yocwaningo lwabo emva kokuhlungwa kwama-proposal kanye nenhlolokhono obekusezingeni eliphezulu – ithuba lokuthathwa belilinganiselwa ku-1%.

‘Ngijabule kakhulu futhi ngizizwa ngihloniphekile ngokuthola leli thuba eliyingqayizivele lokuhlangana, ngiphinde ngisebenze ndawonye nabanye babacwaningi abahamba phambili emhlabeni wonke, ikakhulukazi emkhakheni enginentshisekelo ngawo kangaka,’ kuphawula u-Bisschoff.

‘Lolu hlelo luzongisiza ukuba ngibe uMcwaningi ongcono kakhulu kwazise ngizothola ukwalulelekwa oNgoti nezingcithabuchopho emkhakheni we-astrophysics ne-cosmology bese nami ngibe negalelo njengomAfrika kulenkundla, kwazi bani nje, mhlawumbe ngelinye ilanga ngingaklonyeliswa nge-Nobel Prize!

Ucwaningo luka-Bisschoff lwe-PhD luthinta i-magnetic field kwi-early Universe – uzocwaninga ukuthi i-inter-galactic magnetic field (IGMF) ingaba nomthelela kwinkanyezi nakwi-galaxy formation emva kweminyaka eyi-10 lesigidi emva kwe-Big Bang.

Ukuba womunye wabathole ithuba lokuba kwi-‘100 PhD’s for Africa’ kuzokhuphula izinga lokusebenza ngokubambisana kwamazwengamazwe njengoba u-Bisschoff elulekwa nguSolwazi we-ARC u-Yin-Zhe Ma e-UKZN kanye noSolwazi Jean-Paul Kneib e-EPFL.

U-Kneib uhola i-Astrophysics Laboratory e-EPFL futhi unguNgoti obahola phambili kweze-large scale of the universe. Uphinde ahole ababambe iqhaza kwiprojekhti yase-Switzerland ebizwa nge-Square kilometre Array eyenziwa esifundazweni sase-Northen Cape eseNingizimu Afrika.

U-Bisschoff, owaphothula iziqu zakhe zemfundo ephakeme i-undergraduate degree kanye ne-master's degree eNyuvesi yase-Free State, wasungula lo mqondo wokwenza izifundo ze-PhD ngesikhathi esafunda i-master’s yakhe wabona kukuhle ukuthi axhumane no-Ma ngokuqhubeza ucwaningo lwakhe.

Ukhe kafushane ocwaningweni lakhe lapho echaza ukuthi i-IGMF, ingumkhakha othathwa kancane emhlabeni jikelele, futhi kumele ngabe igcwele umhlaba wonke futhi isetshenziswe ukuphenya i-Big Bang kodwa kuncike kakhulu ekutheni ayikhulisiwe njenge-Magnetic fields ezindaweni eziminyene emhlabeni wonkana.

‘i-IGMF kumele kube iyona-magnetic field endala kwi-Universe futhi kungenzeka ukuthi iqukethe imniningwane ebucayi echaza kabanzi ngokuthi iziphi izigameko ezenzakala okokuqala ngqa’, kuchaza u-Bisschoff.

Izikali eziqonde ngqo zamandla e-IGMF bezingakatholakali, ngakho-ke uBisschoff uhlela ukulungisa i-IGMF bese ehlola lezi zifaniso ukuze athole ukuqonda indlela ezisebenza ngayo, indlela i-early sub-galactic structure formation ne-epoch of re-ionization nokuyila ama-magnetic fields asuka khona. Uhlose ukuphinde athole izithiyo okuyizo ngqo kwi-IGMF lokhu uzokwenza ngenhlanganisela yezifaniso kanye nezindlela ezahlukene.

‘Ukuze siqonde kangcono ukusebenza kwalezinto, inkathi endlule kanye ne-evolution yama baryonic matter, kubalulekile ukufunda zonke izikali ezahlukahlukene zama-magnetic fields emhlabeni nokuyiyona elawula ukusebenza kwale-matter,' kuphawula u-Ma. I-electromagnetic force ilawula inani elibalulekile lalokhu ngaphakathi emhlabeni kusukela kwi-small scale planetary kuya ku-large-scale galaxy cluster magnetic fields.’

Amagama: ngu-Christine Cuénod

Isithombe: Sithunyelwe