PhD Scholarship Position in Applied Nuclear Physics Fission Yield Measurements with Verdi

The Division of Applied Nuclear Physics conducts research in the areas of nuclear reactions (for applications like nuclear energy, cancer therapy or transmutation of nuclear waste), nuclear fuel diagnostics and safeguards, neutron diagnostics for fusion energy and interaction of high velocity ions in various materials. The nuclear reactions research group is devoted to measurements and evaluations of nuclear data for applications, for example nuclear energy, nuclear medicine and electronics. With our collaborators, primarily at laboratories in Belgium, Finland and France, we study nuclear reaction cross sections, fission yields and neutron multiplicities, light ion production, single event upsets, and so on. We are also involved in the development of the nuclear reaction code TALYS and the nuclear data library TENDL.

In collaboration with the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission in Belgium, we develop the state-of-the-art nuclear instrument (VERDI) which stands for "VElocity foR Direct particle Identification". With VERDI we are able to measure the velocities and energies of both produced nuclei, which allows a mass determination. In order to obtain precise mass measurements, both fragment velocities must be determined with high precision. One main challenge is to deduce the correct time-of-flight from the Si detector signals.

During the Ph.D., the student will gain profound knowledge in nuclear reactions and instrumentation used in nuclear physics research. The Ph.D. student will get specialized in the field of fission dynamics, ionizing radiation, radiation measurements with particular emphasis on fission fragments, neutron and gamma-ray detection.

As a doctoral student at our division, you will work in a multi-cultural environment and you will have an active role in the group activities such as seminars, workshops and courses. At the same time, you will be expected to work independently and to take personal responsibility for the progression of the project. Since most of our experimental work is located to different European facilities you will be spending extended periods of time abroad, especially at JRC in Belgium. Your main task will be to conduct fission yield experiments, to collect and analyse data and to compare the results to existing data-sets and model calculations. You will also perform computer simulations of the experimental set-up in order to improve the performance.

The applicant must be eligible for Postgraduate studies at Uppsala University. Rules governing PhD students are set out in the Higher Education Ordinance chapter 5, 1-7 and in Uppsala University’s rules and guidelines http://regler.uu.se/?languageId=1.