Interview with Lucia Anna Tarasovičová, physicist at CERN — Inspiring Girls International - Raising the Aspirations Of Young Girls Worldwide

by Lucia

Lucia Anna Tarasovičová is a Physicist working at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN). She studied at the Institute of Physical Sciences in UPJŠ (Slovakia) and later obtained a PhD in Particle Physics at the University of Münster (Germany).

CERN is one of the largest and most prestigious centres for scientific research in the world. It is dedicated to understanding what the universe is made of and how it works, and it does so by studying the fundamental particles that constitute matter. Dr. Tarasovičová is currently working on the ALICE experiment, and in this interview she discusses with Lucia, our Young Ambassador to Slovakia, her research and career.

“Physics is all around us. If we understand it, we can use it to our advantage. And it’s absolutely fascinating that, based on our knowledge of nature, we can create things that make our lives easier.”

Q: How is particle acceleration done at CERN? What are the different steps of the experiments and what is their current goal?

A: This is a very broad question, but I will try to answer it as simply as I can. The goal of each experiment is different. At the LHC, the largest of the accelerators at CERN, there are 4 large experiments: ATLAS, CMS, ALICE and LHCb.

ATLAS and CMS are general purpose experiments that do very precise measurements (to several decimal points) of the so-called Standard Model, the best model we have so far in particle physics. It encapsulates our knowledge about the fundamental particles (e.g. quarks), governed by four fundamental forces. Although this model can predict most of our observations very accurately, there are phenomena it can’t describe, which is why we think there must be a type of physics that we don't know yet. So these two experiments are also looking for this new physics.

The LHCb is mainly concerned with the physics of the bottom quark, which is the heavier brother of the up quark (see figure 1). With this experiment, we want to answer the question of why there is a lot of matter but no antimatter in the universe, since equal amounts of both were created at the Big Bang.

*Figure 1. The fundamental subatomic structure of matter.*

ALICE deals with so-called quark-gluon plasma. This is the form of matter that formed the universe right after the Big Bang. We can think of it as a soup of elementary particles (quarks and gluons) which are not a smaller component of another, bigger particle. This is very interesting because under normal conditions they are bound in larger particles, like protons.

*Figure 2. Basic principle of particle acceleration*

And how can we measure all this? To do it, we need collisions of protons or heavy nuclei at high energies. Here we use Einstein's well-known equation, E=mc^2: because mass is equivalent to energy, we can use the energy of these collisions to create new particles. To achieve the desired energy, we use accelerators where an electric field is applied to the particles to accelerate them (see figure 2). To avoid having to apply very high voltages, we use circular accelerators, where the acceleration happens in one spot and we curve the path of the protons with magnets so that they pass through it every time. There are several of these accelerators at CERN, and they form a whole system that gradually accelerates to higher and higher energies.

*Figure 3. Lego Model of the ALICE experiment, designed by high school students in Germany*

Q: What do you enjoy most about your work and what drives you forward? What, on the contrary, is the most boring part of it?

There are many things I enjoy about my job, whether it is programming the analysis, discussing new results, solving problems… I also really enjoy preparing and doing presentations, not only Physics results at international conferences, but also explaining physics to the general public. And travelling is a big part of my job, which I also like very much.

Q: How can I find out if I would enjoy working in physics and whether I could make a career out of it? Are there any prerequisites or any sacrifices you have to make for the job? Is it a very competitive environment?

You would enjoy working as a physicist if you like to solve problems, are curious about how the world works around you and like to learn. The prerequisites for studying physics are, in my opinion, a good mathematical foundation and good logical thinking.

Regarding employment after university, one can of course go on to do a PhD, where there are really wide opportunities to get into different universities in the world. But physicists are also very employable outside the science field, as employers like to reach for people who know how to think in broader contexts. This includes jobs in programming, data science, insurance or finance, for example.

The question on “sacrifice” is very subjective and it depends on each person's boundaries. I personally think that one doesn't have to sacrifice anything if one doesn't want to.

Finally, how competitive the environment is depends very much on the level at which you are. There is a pressure on students to perform in some places, but it is up to each individual to decide how they handle it. At the higher levels, the overall environment can be very competitive and political, as it tends to be pretty much everywhere.

Q: What advice would you give to girls when choosing a degree? What does graduate school in Physics look like?

Personally, I'm a proponent of everyone doing what they enjoy in life because we spend a really long time at work. That is why I would recommend to each and everyone a major that they are interested in and enjoy. If a person works with passion, they will always be able to apply themselves. If when choosing a degree someone gets advice like "don't study this, it won't make you a living" or "choose this instead, you'll earn a lot here”… I can only say that I don't recommend following it, because it can bring a lot of misery. But if someone can picture themselves doing something they don’t enjoy their whole life, 40 to 50 years, they are obviously free to choose that.

During your postgraduate studies you mainly work on your own research, and additionally attend some lectures and seminars. It also involves a lot of self-study of different papers concerning your first scientific work. PhD students also teach in the basic courses. Attending conferences and presenting your work to others is also an important part of this.

Q: What have been the biggest challenges you've encountered throughout your career and studies?

Probably the biggest challenge was when I had to go to CERN for three months during the summer as a student. At the time I was not yet fluent in English and I also didn't quite know what to expect from the science project that I was going to work on. Of course, during my stay my English improved and I also managed to work successfully on the project. The next big challenge was moving to Germany to do my PhD.

I encounter small and big challenges every day, whether it is solving different small issues in the programming, presenting results in a collaboration, teaching students or attending different events for high school students or the general public. I learn from all of these and I have to overcome my own nervousness before each first experience.
Q: With so many people working on experiments, collaboration is crucial. What has working at CERN taught you as a person?

In my work, I meet people from different countries and different parts of the world on a daily basis, usually in Zoom meetings. This has helped me to know myself better and to understand my own reactions and prejudices. For example, I've discovered how I don't want to react in some situations, and I'm still learning how to improve.

Q: If you had to define, in retrospect, what were the key factors in your success, what would they be?

The most important factor is probably luck. I think it's always been important to be in the right place at the right time. Of course, for that luck to occur you need to look for situations that can make you progress, such as applying for different positions or programs.

*Internal structure of the accelerators used in the ALICE experiment*

Q: What was the best advice you have ever received?

It's not exactly advice, but the most important thing I've learnt is that almost everyone has impostor syndrome. When I was at my first or second conference, I felt like I didn't understand anything at all, and I didn't really know what I was doing there. But when I told this to an older Czech PhD student, she told me that it was like this for everybody. The older students understand the topic only because they have heard it discussed many times, and just a small part of it is new to them; so if I went to conferences more often, I would end up understanding everything too. And she was right! So that is where my motto came from: “fake it till you make it”.

Another important piece of advice was that we can always do more; more tests, more measurements, but it's essential to know that sometimes enough is enough and just wrap it up for the day.

And finally, a piece of advice from me - what people you work with makes a difference. No matter the prestige of the university, if you want to work somewhere but the people there are not considerate or push their students too hard, you will not be happy. Always ask the people already working in an institution what the atmosphere is like - and decide where to go accordingly.

Q: What are you most proud of in your life?

I am proud of myself, of everything I've done, all the fears I've overcome and where I've ended up.
Q: What is the legacy you would like to leave behind?

I would like to get as many people as possible excited about physics. Make them realize that it's not a bunch of formulae that we have to learn (or, in the best case scenario, understand) in class. Physics is all around us. And if we understand it, we can use it to our advantage. Without physics, we wouldn't have any of the modern technology, from electricity to the internet or airplanes. And it's absolutely fascinating that, based on our knowledge of nature, we can create things that make our lives easier.