PhD Fellows in Fusion Plasma Physics

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. The fluctuation-induced radial transport results in high particle densities and temperatures in the boundary region and enhanced interactions between the plasma and material surfaces. This leads to erosion of wall material and release of impurities into the confined plasma. The former will ultimately define the plasma facing components lifetime, while the latter may cause significant radiation in the core plasma and limit the power performance of 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. The boundary region of magnetically confined plasmas is commonly in an inherently fluctuating state with an order unity relative fluctuation level of the plasma parameters. These fluctuations are generally attributed to magnetic field-aligned plasma filaments that move radially outwards to limiter structures and the main chamber walls. These filaments, commonly referred to as blobs, are localized in the drift plane perpendicular to the magnetic field. Moreover, they have excess pressure compared to the time-average plasma.

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.

UiT has recently established the Fusion Research Center Norway (FUSENOW) – the first research center on fusion plasma physics in Norway, supported by funding from the Trond Mohn Research Foundation/Tromsø Science Foundation. The research activity comprises stochastic modelling (describing the fluctuation as a super-position of uncorrelated pulses), numerical simulations of turbulent fluctuations and analysis of experimental measurement data from international collaboration partners. More information can be found on the FUSENOW web pages.

The applicant must present a description outlining the academic basis of the PhD project in relation to the research themes of FUSENOW. The project description shall not exceed three pages, literature references included. It must include a description of the topic, research question(s) and a reasoning of the choices. It should also indicate the methodologies to be used. The final project description will be developed in cooperation with the supervisors.

Qualifications

The suitable candidate must have:

• Master’s degree in physics or applied mathematics with documented expertise on plasma physics, fluid dynamics, scientific programming and experience with data analysis. 
• Background in plasma physics and fluid dynamics
• Good programming skills (Linux, Python, C/C++, Julia, …)
•  Experience with data analysis
• Documented fluency in English and be able to work in an international environment.
• and reasonable skills in Scandinavian languages.
   

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

In the assessment, the emphasis is on the applicant's potential to complete a research education based on the master's thesis or equivalent,and any other scientific work. The project description will also be considered. In addition, other experience of significance for the completion of the doctoral programme may be given consideration.

We will also emphasize motivation and personal suitability for the position. We are looking for candidates who:

• Have good collaboration skills
• Have high self-motivation and interest in the topic
• Have good communication and interaction with colleagues and students
• Wants to contribute to a good working environment
   

As many people as possible should have the opportunity to undertake organized research training. If you already hold a PhD or have
equivalent competence, we will not appoint you to this position.
 

Admission to the PhD programme 

For employment in the PhD position, you must be qualified for admission to the PhDprogrammeat the Faculty of Science and Technology and participatein organized doctoral studies within the employment period.

Admissionnormallyrequires:  

A bachelor's degree of 180 ECTS and a master's degree of 120 ECTS, or an integrated master's degree of 300 ECTS. 

In order to gain admission to the programme, the candidate must document sufficient potential for research. The applicant must have a grade point average of C (strong 3.0) or better for the master’s degree, which mustcontainan independentwork. A more detailed description of admission requirements can be found here. 

If you are employed in the position, you will be provisionally admitted to the PhDprogramme. Application for final admission must besubmittedno later than two monthsafter taking up the position. 

Applicants with a foreign education will be subjected to an evaluation of whether the educational background is equal to Norwegian higher education, following national guidelines from Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills. Depending on which country the education is from, one or twoadditionalyears of university education may berequiredto fulfil admission requirements,e.g.a 4-year bachelor's degree and a 2-year master's degree.UiTnormally accepts higher education from countries that are part of the Lisbon Recognition Convention.

Inclusion and diversity

UiT The Arctic University of Norway is working actively to promote equality, gender balance and diversity among employees and students, and to create an inclusive and safe working environment. We believe that inclusion and diversity are a strength, and we want employees with different competencies, professional experience, life experience and perspectives.

If you have a disability, a gap in your CV or immigrant background, we encourage you to tick the box for this in your application. If there are qualified applicants, we invite at least one in each group for an interview. If you get the job, we will adapt the working conditions if you need it. Apart from selecting the right candidates, we will only use the information for anonymous statistics.

We offer

• Involvement in an interesting research project 
• Good career opportunities 
• A good academic environment with dedicated colleagues  
• Flexible working hours and a state collective pay agreement  
• Pension scheme through the state pension fund 
• PhD Fellows are normally given a salary of 550 800 NOK/year with a 3% yearly increase
• If you have to relocate to Tromsø then the Faculty of Science and Technology may reimburse your moving costs. Further details regarding this matter will be made available if you receive an offer from us.

Norwegian health policy aims to ensure that everyone, irrespective of their personal finances and where they live, has access to good health and care services of equal standard. As an employee you will become member of the National Insurance Scheme which also include health care services.

More practical information about working and living in Norway can be found here: https://uit.no/staffmobility

Application 

Please note that the application will only be assessed based on the information submitted by the application deadline via Jobbnorge. It is therefore important that you include all necessary documents demonstrating your qualifications for the position.

Your application must include: 

• Cover letter explaining your motivation and research interests
• CV
• Official diplomas for Bachelor's and Master's degree in the original language 
• Official transcripts of grades/academic record for Bachelor's and Master's degree in the original language
• Official translation of diplomas and transcripts of records (ToR) to English or a Scandinavian language, if applicable
• Explanation of the grading system for foreign education (Diploma Supplement if available)
• Documentation of English proficiency, if you have. If English proficiency is not documented in the application, it must be documented before starting in the position. 
• Documentation of proficiency in Norwegian (or a Scandinavian language), if you have
• References with contact information
• Master’s thesis, and any other academic works
• Project description (maximum 3 pages)

Qualification with a master’s degree is required before commencement in the position. If you are near completion of your master’s degree, you may still apply and submit a draft version of the thesis and a statement from your supervisor or institution indicating when the degree will be obtained. You must still submit your transcript of grades for the master’s degree with your application.

Assessment 

The applicants will be assessed by an expert committee. The committee's mandate is to undertake an assessment of the applicants' qualifications based on the written material presented by the applicants, and the detailed description draw up for the position. A copy of the assessment report will be sent to all applicants. 

The applicants who are assessed as best qualified will be called to an interview. The interview should among other things, aim to clarify the applicant’s motivation and personal suitability for the position. 

General information 

The appointment is made in accordance with State regulations and guidelines at UiT. At our website, you will find more information for applicants. 

The engagement is to be made in accordance with the acts relating to Control of the Export of Strategic Goods, Services and Technology. Candidates who by assessment of the application and attachment are seen to conflict with the criteria in the latter law will be prohibited from recruitment. After the appointment you must assume that there may be changes in the area of work.

Remuneration for the position of PhD Fellow is in accordance with the State salary scale code 1017. A compulsory contribution of 2 % to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund will be deducted. You will become a member of the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund, which gives you many benefits in addition to a lifelong pension. Read more at: spk.no.

A shorter period of appointment may be decided when the PhD Fellow has already completed parts of their research training programme or when the appointment is based on a previous qualifying position PhD Fellow, research assistant, or the like in such a way that the total time used for research training amounts to three years. 

We process personal data given in an application or CV in accordance with the Personal Data Act (Offentleglova). According to the Personal Data Act information about the applicant may be included in the public applicant list, also in cases where the applicant has requested non-disclosure. You will receive advance notification in the event of such publication, if you have requested non-disclosure.