The position

One to two PhD positions is available at the Department of Physics and Technology, Faculty of Science and Technology with the research group Complex Systems Modelling/Fusion Research Center Norway.

The position is for a period of three years. The objective of the position is to complete research training to the level of a doctoral degree. Admission to the PhD programme is a prerequisite for employment, and the programme period starts on commencement of the position.

The workplace is at UiT in Tromsø, Norway. You must be able to start in the position within a reasonable time after receiving the offer.

The position’s field of research

Controlled thermonuclear fusion based on magnetic confinement holds the potential as an unlimited source of clean electrical energy for humanity. A major obstacle towards this goal is the interaction of the magnetically confined, hot plasma with material surfaces in reactors. Turbulent motions and transient transport events impose numerous challenges for future power fusion reactors.

Because of these challenges, turbulence and cross-field transport of particles and heat in the boundary region of magnetically confined plasmas is a field of intense research.

This project attempts to elucidate the statistical properties of the fluctuations by first-principles mathematical modelling of the turbulence, numerical simulations of these models, stochastic modelling and advanced data analysis to identify and quantify the role of the filament structures for plasma-wall interactions.

Qualifications

The suitable candidate must have:

• Master’s degree in physics or applied mathematics with documented expertise on plasma physics.
• Good programming skills (Linux, Python, C/C++, Julia, …)
• Documented fluency in English and be able to work in an international environment.

Working knowledge of Norwegian or a Scandinavian language is also beneficial.