The Nanoscience Cooperative Research Center CIC nanoGUNE, created with the mission of conducting world-class nanoscience research for the competitive growth of the Basque Country and recently recognized as a "María de Maeztu" Excellence Unit (2017-2021), is currently looking for a
POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER
to work on
Radiation Damage Simulations in Space Conditions
Offer:
The position will be dedicated to the computational simulation of non-adiabatic effects in the radiation damage of materials of relevance to space exploration. Besides electromagnetic, radiation in space (from cosmic rays to radiation ejected in solar flares) consists mostly of high energy protons, in addition to some electrons, neutrons, alpha particles and a small proportion of heavier nuclei. When these projectiles impinge on spacecrafts at high energy they can produce damage in materials, and in the living tissue of the crew and other living occupants. Damage mitigation strategies can be optimised by improved understanding of the damage processes. The European ESC2RAD project uses computational simulation techniques of condensed matter physics for the study of radiation damage events in conditions relevant to interplanetary space and to the Martian surface. The work concentrates on the effects on living tissue and on solar panels, as critical systems in trips to Mars.
The person hired will concentrate on the simulation of atom displacement events by high energy protons in the triple-junction solar cells used in modern space travel. In particular, the focus will be on non-adiabatic effects: how do displacement characteristics change when the projectile hits on a nucleus surrounded by a cloud of electronic excitation. The calculations will be based on time-dependent density-functional theory in real time, using efficient TD-DFT implementations based on atomic orbital basis sets.
Requirements:
The successful candidate will have a PhD in condensed matter physics or theoretical chemistry, with sufficient experience in computational condensed matter simulations, preferably time-dependent and using LCAO. She or he will be able to use electronic-structure codes, and introduce modifications tailoring their approximations and output, being able to code in advanced Fortran and manage version-control software (git). The candidate should be able to automatise calculations by means of scripting language and/or relevant workflow software packages, such as AiiDA.
For application: please fill the form in https://www.nanogune.eu/careers and submit:
- A complete CV
- A cover letter containing contact details for 2-3 references grouped in a single PDF file.
The deadline for applications has been extended to October 30th, 2019.
NOTES:
* NanoGUNE values diversity and is committed to equality of opportunity.
* Applicants should stick to the following instructions for submitting their applications.
* Please note that due to the large number of submissions expected, we cannot provide individual feedback.
