If interested in the project, please contact the student managers and initiators of the project David Surdez and Thomas Genoud (david.surdez@epfl.ch thomas.genoud@epfl.ch)

Work in Progress

Portable Cloud Chamber For its first project, the team is developing a portable cloud chamber to serve as both a technical foundation and a collaborative starting point. A cloud chamber is a powerful visualization tool that makes otherwise invisible phenomena, such as natural radioactivity and cosmic rays, directly observable in real time. The objective is to design and build a robust, transportable system that can be easily deployed at outreach events, public demonstrations, and gymnasium classrooms. Beyond its educational impact, the project allows the team to address key experimental challenges including thermal regulation, vapor saturation control, electronic system integration, and radiation and operational safety considerations. The long-term goal is to present the fully operational device at the Swiss Physical Society Annual Meeting in August.

Long term vision

The purpose of this project is to create a student-driven experimental physics platform where ideas are not only discussed, but designed, built, and tested in real conditions. It provides a space for students to take full ownership of a physical system, from first principles to working prototype. This project aims to build a collaborative environment around ambitious hands-on challenges. Students develop the mechanical, electronic, and computational tools required to realize a central experimental setup, gaining practical experience in instrumentation, debugging, uncertainty analysis, and iterative engineering. Beyond building a functional experiment, the project aims to establish a lasting experimental culture within the EPFL physics community through horizontal collaboration, documentation, and continuous improvement across generations.