Clara Nellist
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particleclara.bsky.social
Clara Nellist
@particleclara.bsky.social
6.3K followers 250 following 160 posts
Particle Physicist working on the ATLAS Experiment at CERN and Science Communicator
Makes videos about physics on YouTube, Insta and TikTok
Posts Replies Media Videos
particleclara.bsky.social
A massive thank you to the folks from the STFC & Boulby Underground Laboratory for showing me around for #DarkMatterDay!

We went 1km underground & I spoke with people who do this every day to better understand how our universe works. It was such a unique experience & I can't wait to show you more!!
November 2, 2025 at 8:05 PM
particleclara.bsky.social
Let's go on a Dark Matter Hunt!

It's almost Dark Matter Day -- also known as Halloween 👻 🎃 -- and I'm really excited to be heading to the STFC’s Boulby Underground Laboratory! This is a unique facility where scientists hunt for the missing matter that makes up our Universe. 🌌
October 29, 2025 at 11:41 PM
particleclara.bsky.social
How many protons actually collide when the Large Hadron Collider beams cross in the experiments at CERN? #physics
October 20, 2025 at 8:26 PM
particleclara.bsky.social
I'm not always 100m underground, sometimes I can be found up a mountain too. #scientist
I'm sat on the ground surrounded by yellow flowers with snow capped mountains in the background. I'm in hiking gear, blue technical trousers, a pale blue checked shirt with pink stripes and hiking books. I have a hat on that says "Space Rocks" and I'm looking directly at the camera and smiling. It's sunny.
April 29, 2025 at 11:44 AM
particleclara.bsky.social
I dunno 🤷🏼‍♀️ that's my first thought for ctrl+f, but it doesn't seem to make sense with the video
Screenshot of the video titled "Do I get to call myself a laureate?" and then a comment on the video with "Ctrl+F"
April 6, 2025 at 11:04 AM
particleclara.bsky.social
My signed copy of Everything is Tuberculosis by @johngreensbluesky.bsky.social has arrived!
If it wasn't for medical research into treatment for this disease, I wouldn't exist. My grandfather (right) got tuberculosis as a young man and spent time in Salterley Grange Sanitorium in Gloucestershire.
Photo of the front cover of the Everything is Tuberculosis book by John Green My grandfather (on the right) at Salterley Grange Sanatorium, where he was being treated for tuberculosis. This black-and-white photo shows him with a friend and a dog outside the main building, with the sanatorium and pine trees visible in the background.
April 5, 2025 at 11:23 PM
particleclara.bsky.social
Arrived in Anaheim for the APS Global Physics Summit! If you're at the conference and we pass each other, do say hi 🙂
Selfie of me in front of the giant APS banner at the convention centre.
March 16, 2025 at 12:11 AM
particleclara.bsky.social
The beginning 💛 #CERN 🔭
January 14, 2025 at 12:53 AM
particleclara.bsky.social
Merry Christmas to those who celebrate! I've had a lovely day and this year I was in charge of the dinner (and it turned out great 😊). 🎄🎁
Selfie of me in a Christmas jumper with Rudolphs on it. I have candy cane earrings and red lipstick. I'm smiling at the camera.
December 25, 2024 at 10:05 PM
particleclara.bsky.social
The Large Hadron Collider at #CERN has shut down for 2024. It's time to enter the regular winter maintenance period ❄️
A screenshot of the LHC Page 1 interface showing the status of the Large Hadron Collider. The main text in the centre reads "SHUTDOWN: NO BEAM" in large white letters on a blue background. Additional information at the bottom indicates, "No more beam for 2024; for access call LHC coordination" with a timestamp of 25-Nov-2024 10:57:31. The BIS status and SMP flags section shows several beam-related statuses, with most indicators set to "false" and coloured red, except for "Link Status of Beam Permits," which is "true" and green. The "PM Status B1" and "PM Status B2" are both marked "ENABLED" in green. The fill number is listed as 10405, and the energy (E) is 0 GeV. The timestamp at the top right reads 25-11-24 17:35:42.
November 25, 2024 at 4:46 PM
particleclara.bsky.social
A galaxy of collisions 🌌
November 25, 2024 at 3:50 PM
particleclara.bsky.social
From today, 100 women have been to space! 🚀🌌 Emily Calandrelli, aka @thespacegal, crossed us over that line, following in the footsteps of many adventurous women. From Valentina, to Emily, and beyond - ad astra ✨
Emily Calandrelli, wearing a blue flight suit, exits the 'RSS First Step' spacecraft with an American flag decal on the side. She raises her hands in celebration while someone nearby applauds. In the background is a desert landscape with mountains. The sun is shining.
November 22, 2024 at 4:30 PM
particleclara.bsky.social
Happy LGBTQ+ STEM Day! 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

Today is a day to celebrate the contributions of LGBTQ+ folks in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, but also to look at how far we still need to go in STEM, and society more broadly, to support those who just want to be who they are.

#LGBTQSTEMDay
A photo of me wearing a bright blue hard hat and a black top with a colourful heart design, symbolising the bi pride flag. I'm smiling brightly in front of a large bi pride flag. The scene is vibrant, with additional pride flags visible in the background. I'm also wearing a lanyard decorated with science-themed pins, showing LGBTQ+ representation in STEM. A photo of me smiling over my shoulder, wearing vibrant rainbow feathered wings and a yellow skirt. I'm standing in a lively crowd at the Paris pride parade.
November 18, 2024 at 4:54 PM
particleclara.bsky.social
This is true. Even the cabling and pipes are photogenic! #CERN
View of an intricate network of pipes and cables near the ATLAS experiment at CERN. The image shows a variety of silver metallic pipes curving and overlapping, with additional coloured cables (orange, black, blue, and white) bundled together. A green emergency exit sign is visible on the wall, and a perforated metallic walkway leads through the space. The industrial setting highlights the complex infrastructure supporting the particle physics experiment.
November 16, 2024 at 9:41 PM
particleclara.bsky.social
Time for a reintroduction ☺️

I’m Clara, a particle physicist working on the ATLAS Experiment at CERN. I’m also an assistant professor at the University of Amsterdam and Nikhef. I make videos about particle physics online. Looking forward to talking physics with you!!
Photo of me smiling in a helmet in front of the ATLAS Experiment at CERN
November 9, 2024 at 4:02 PM
particleclara.bsky.social
Yesterday's launch event for ESA's Euclid telescope was fantastic. As a CERN scientist, it was fascinating to learn more about how Euclid will be studying Dark Matter and Dark Energy in our universe. I can't wait to see what results this mission reveals! 🌌🧪
Photo of me in front of a one quarter sized model of the Euclid telescope.
July 2, 2023 at 10:47 AM
particleclara.bsky.social
Where the wild science grows! 🌼

Once a crucial component of CERN's Large Electron-Positron collider, this vintage LEP RF cavity is now nestled amidst a bed of wildflowers at Nikhef in Amsterdam. 🧪
A photo of a large (order of metres) copper-coloured structure from a low angle surrounded by wildflowers (which are mostly white and yellow). The structure is a radio-frequency cavity from the Large Electron Positron Collider.
June 17, 2023 at 5:27 PM
particleclara.bsky.social
I posted a Pride in Physics video to YouTube and am now getting the predicable comments.

This one forgot what channel they were on though 😄
The comment reads: "What comes before a fall? and I replied "gravity"
June 3, 2023 at 8:21 AM
particleclara.bsky.social
It's my birthday! 🎉🎉

I'm working all day today 😅 so please have some of your favourite food or pet a furry friend for me ☺️
A selfie of me, a white woman in her thirties with Auburn hair and a fringe. I'm standing in front of a canal in Amsterdam and smiling at the camera.
May 15, 2023 at 1:17 PM
particleclara.bsky.social
I'm hiring a PhD researcher to work in Amsterdam at the IoP, UvA and with Nikhef in top quark analysis with the ATLAS Collaboration at CERN!

Please share with potential candidates!

Deadline to apply: 15th June

https://www.nikhef.nl/jobs/vacatures/
May 13, 2023 at 5:11 PM
particleclara.bsky.social
Happy Friday, all!
A white woman with red hair and a fringe is smiling at the camera. She's wearing a white t-shirt and denim jacket.
May 5, 2023 at 5:52 PM
particleclara.bsky.social
Today, I gave a talk about particle physics and understanding the smallest building blocks of our universe at the UvA IOP monthly pizza seminar 🍕. Then it was directly off to CERN to talk about top quarks ☺️

📷1: I. van Vulpen
📷2: E. Cherepanova
📷3: Me 🤳🏼
May 3, 2023 at 3:03 PM