This master's degree does not have specific professional attributions since it falls within the field of fundamental research. As such, its main objective is to train future researchers in areas related to the lines of research that are developed in the Faculty of Sciences of the UNED. This master's degree will study aspects of physics that are directly applicable to different fields of science. Its academic and research orientation will allow a graduate to develop a set of skills aimed at deepening in each of the areas covered and allow the subsequent performance of research work, leading for example to the completion of a doctorate.
The research orientation of the master's degree is of interest to prospective students, not only because it provides them with the possibility of starting an academic career, but also because it allows them to access professional opportunities with a research profile in industry. The research areas in which the professors of the master's degree develop their activity are related to the three specialties offered: theoretical physics, physics of fluids and computational physics. These areas include, among others:
Fluid mechanics and complex fluids: hydrodynamic instabilities, turbulence, rheology, magneto-rheological fluids, mesoscopic description of fluids, liquid crystals, colloidal systems, polymeric fluids, transport phenomena in fluids, multiphase flows, reactive flows.
New materials and interfaces: nanometric aggregates, liquid-solid interface, spatiotemporal dynamics of threshold processes (fracture of materials and friction between solids), study of ices and aggregates of atmospheric and astrophysical interest, instabilities in liquids with free surfaces, stability of fronts in crystalline growth, kinetic roughness theory of surfaces, heterogeneous kinetics at interfaces, surface growth.
Aggregation, particles, aerosol mechanics: transport properties of particles and vapors in gases, nucleation, condensation, deposition and coagulation of particles, structure and morphology of granular deposits, electrosprays, electrohydrodynamic atomization of liquid suspensions.
Energy: dynamics of flame propagation, combustion, fuel cells.
Medical imaging and remote sensing: remote sensing and hydroacoustics, medical imaging, magnetic resonance imaging.
Classical and quantum general relativity: observers, observables and measurement processes.
Researchers trained in these and other aspects, both in characterization techniques and in analytical and numerical prediction techniques, are of maximum interest for industrial sectors as varied as:
The petrochemical industry, particularly in the development of models for the optimization of hydrocarbon transport. The behavior of complex fluids is studied in detail in several subjects of the study plan, which allows to deepen the knowledge of this type of problems. It is not only a theoretical formulation of the physical fundamentals of complex fluids, but the behavior of these fluids confined in different elements is studied in detail, allowing the extraction of properties that are useful in practice.
The energy industry, particularly that focused on renewable energy solutions such as solar energy, is also very interested in the study of complex fluids. The development of products that enable the transport and storage of sustainable forms of energy requires not only experimentation, but the development of theoretical models that are seen in depth in the Master's studies.
Industrial sectors with processes involving polymeric fluids, emulsions, suspensions or interfacial processes.
Sectors such as the design of advanced materials (including nanodevices, biosensors and, in general, functionalized nanomaterials).
The development of renewable energy sources (photovoltaic devices, for example).
Medical technology sectors, in the field of diagnostic imaging and instrumentation.
The aerospace industry which, in addition to its traditional interest in research in aerodynamics and turbulence problems, develops research activities in lines related to the topics of the master's degree, such as new structural materials that improve mechanical properties, or microfluidics.
Innovation companies in Information Technology and information security.
The training acquired by our students also makes them very competitive in scientific knowledge management sectors such as university-industry knowledge transfer offices, quality control and assurance companies, and specialized software design.
