Postdoctoral Research Associate - Gyro-fluid Theory Development

Requisition Id 12425 

Overview: 

As a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science national laboratory, ORNL has an extraordinary 80-year history of solving the nation’s biggest problems. We have a dedicated and creative staff of over 6,000 people! Our vision for diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) is to cultivate an environment and practices that foster diversity in ideas and in the people across the organization, as well as to ensure ORNL is recognized as a workplace of choice. These elements are critical for enabling the execution of ORNL’s broader mission to accelerate scientific discoveries and their translation into energy, environment, and security solutions for the nation.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory has an exciting opportunity to work with the Plasma Theory and Modeling Group Leader, Dr. Gary Staebler, on the theory development of the high impact, gyro-fluid system (GFS) that will become the core linear eigenmode solver for the TGLF quasi-linear transport model (https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2044587). The GFS system has a flexible velocity space resolution and is fully electromagnetic as a linear eigenmode solver. The selected candidate will work with Dr Staebler, and other ORNL scientist, on the continued development of the new GFS (https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0159054) system of moment equations of the gyrokinetic equations. Extension of the GFS equations to include multi-species collisions, and high Mach number rotation, will be made during the postdoctoral appointment. Exploration of advanced GPU acceleration methods, and extension to 3-D magnetic geometry, are among the many near-term opportunities for additional development of GFS. Successful completion of this postdoctoral appointment will prepare the applicant to apply the TGLF-GFS transport model to validation of energy, particle, momentum, impurity, and fast ion transport at US and international fusion experimental facilities, and to participate in reactor design optimization with the FREDA whole facility modeling framework being developed by a team lead by ORNL.

Major Duties/Responsibilities: 

• Derive and implement in GFS a full species-species collision model.

• Implement the high Mach number effects of the gyrokinetic theory in the GFS code.

• Explore acceleration of GFS with GPU computing.

• Explore application of GFS to 3-D stellarator geometry.

• Produce high impact publications in key peer-reviewed journals, and conference presentations.

• Ensure compliance with environment, safety, health, and quality program requirements.

• Maintain strong commitment to the implementation and perpetuation of ORNL’s values and ethics.

• Deliver ORNL’s mission by aligning behaviors, priorities, and interactions with our core values of Impact, Integrity, Teamwork, Safety, and Service. Promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility by fostering a respectful workplace – in how we treat one another, work together, and measure success.

Basic Qualifications:

• Have, or expect to have within 12 months a PhD in Plasma Physics, Electrical Engineering, Nuclear Engineering, Applied Mathematics, or a related field completed within the last 5 years.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in theoretical formulation of, and computation with, gyro-fluid or gyrokinetic equations

• Experience with GPU acceleration of linear math libraries

• Familiarity with Mathematica

• Skill in computer programming

• Excellent written and oral communication skills

• Motivated self-starter with the ability to work independently and to participate creatively in collaborative teams across the laboratory 

• Ability to function well in a fast-paced research environment, set priorities to accomplish multiple tasks within deadlines, and adapt to ever changing needs

Applicants cannot have received their Ph.D. more than five years prior to the date of application and must complete all degree requirements before starting their appointment. The appointment length will be for up to 24 months with the potential for extension. Initial appointments and extensions are subject to performance and the availability of funding.

Please submit three letters of reference when applying to this position. You can upload these directly to your application or have them sent to postdocrecruitment@ornl.gov with the position title and number referenced in the subject line.

Instructions to upload documents to your candidate profile:

• Login to your account via jobs.ornl.gov

• View Profile

• Under the My Documents section, select Add a Document

Benefits at ORNL:  

ORNL offers competitive pay and benefits programs to attract and retain talented people. The laboratory offers many employee benefits, including medical and retirement plans and flexible work hours, to help you and your family live happy and healthy. Employee amenities such as on-site fitness, banking, and cafeteria facilities are also provided for convenience.

Other benefits include: Prescription Drug Plan, Dental Plan, Vision Plan, 401(k) Retirement Plan, Life Insurance, Pet Insurance, Generous Vacation and Holidays, Parental Leave, Legal Insurance with Identity Theft Protection, Employee Assistance Plan, Flexible Spending Accounts, Health Savings Accounts, Wellness Programs, Educational Assistance, Relocation Assistance, and Employee Discounts.

If you have difficulty using the online application system or need an accommodation to apply due to a disability, please email: ORNLRecruiting@ornl.gov.

This position will remain open for a minimum of 5 days after which it will close when a qualified candidate is identified and/or hired.

We accept Word (.doc, .docx), Adobe (unsecured .pdf), Rich Text Format (.rtf), and HTML (.htm, .html) up to 5MB in size. Resumes from third party vendors will not be accepted; these resumes will be deleted and the candidates submitted will not be considered for employment.

If you have trouble applying for a position, please email ORNLRecruiting@ornl.gov.

ORNL is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants, including individuals with disabilities and protected veterans, are encouraged to apply.  UT-Battelle is an E-Verify employer.