PhD position

The Department of Electromagnetism and Electronics at the University of Murcia, Spain, opens a call for applications for a PhD contract (4 years), financed by the Ministry of Science, in the frame of the R+D project MULTI-ION: Energy transport and dissipation processes in the inner heliosphere: the role of magnetic reconnection and cyclotron waves in multi-ion plasmas.

Internal application deadline

15 September 2021

Project description                        

The successful candidate will perform original research in the frame of the project MULTI-ION, financed by the Ministry of Science and Education, Spain. Magnetic reconnection and wave-particle interactions are universal processes for converting magnetic energy into kinetic energy in plasmas. They are of particular interest in space plasmas, where the effect of particle collisions is often negligible. Our Sun’s heliosphere constitutes an accessible natural laboratory to study in detail how these two processes operate. The specific aim of this project is to understand how the magnetic field energy originated in the Sun is transported and dissipated through the heliosphere. The successful candidate will analyze in-situ data of the satellite missions Solar Orbiter, Parker Solar Probe and/or Magnetospheric Multiscale to advance our understanding of two key plasma processes, namely magnetic reconnection and ion cyclotron waves. The satellite observations will be contrasted to analytical and numerical models which are developed within the project. The candidate is expected to collaborate with scientists at various international institutions, carry out doctoral stays at these institutions and attend international conferences.

What we offer

• Be involved in international research satellite missions in Space Physics, operated by NASA and ESA.
• Exposure and involvement in active international scientific communities. Opportunity to obtain a PhD and pursue a career in Space Physics.
• Work at the University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain. Murcia is the seventh city of Spain in terms of population (~400 000 habitants), well known for its mild climate and its ~3000 hours of Sun per year on average. It is a vibrant university city located at ~50 km of the Mediterranean sea.
• Four years contract. Salary is ~16200 gross/year for the first 2 years, ~17400 for the 3rd year and ~21700 gross/year for the 4th year (regulated by the Ministry of Science, the numbers correspond to last year call).
• Doctoral stays, attendance to conferences, computing hardware and PhD university taxes are covered by the project.

What we look for

• Strong academic record.
• Good knowledge of at least one programming language using for data analysis (as Python, Matlab, IDL, C++ or similar) and the UNIX/LINUX environment. Good ability in Matlab and Python programming will be an asset.
• involvement in scientific research, analytical skills, thinking independence combined with good communication/team-work skills.
• Good command of written/spoken English.

Eligibility

• MSc in a field relevant to the project (e.g. physics, astronomy, mathematics, computer science).
• Only those eligible to postgraduate education may be employed as a doctoral student. The selected candidate must fulfill this requirement by the time of signing the contract (~April 2022).
• The applicant must not hold already a PhD.

Selection procedure and timeline

• Internal application (deadline 15 September 2021). Pre-selected applicants will be individually contacted and interviewed (online) during the second half of September.
• Employment starts (~April 2022, +4 years).

Application procedure and information about the position

Send an email to Sergio.toledo@um.es with subject ‘PhD position Multi-ion’, including the following documents:

• Application letter with a brief description of why you want to pursue a PhD, your academic interests and your adequacy to the project.
• CV including your relevant experience and knowledge.
• Academic record of university studies (Degree, MSc)
• Contact data (e-mail, phone number, institution) to 1-2 reference person(s) who may recommend the candidate.
• Project-related publications, abstracts or technical reports that you have (co-)authored (not mandatory).