Research Associate

The School of Physics, Engineering and Technology brings physicists and engineers together to push the frontiers of knowledge, foster innovation and meet the grand challenges facing society. Our aim is to deliver world-leading research in both fundamental and applied areas whilst developing new technologies that work for the public good, in an environment where everyone can thrive.

As a School, equality, diversity, and inclusion are central to our culture and we strive to provide a working environment which allows all staff and students to contribute fully, to flourish, and to excel. We aim to ensure that there is a supportive and egalitarian culture at all levels and across all staff groups and offer a range of family friendly, inclusive employment policies, flexible working arrangements, staff engagement forums, campus facilities and services to support staff from different backgrounds. We are proud to hold Juno Champion and Athena Swan silver awards, which recognise our commitment to creating an equitable and fully inclusive environment in which staff and students can thrive. We aim to inspire young people to engage with science and engineering through our outreach work.

A fixed-term PDRA position is available in Prof Marina Petri’s group within the Nuclear Physics Group, University of York, working on a novel scintillator array, HYPATIA (HYbrid Photon detector Array To Investigate Atomic nuclei). HYPATIA is a cutting-edge γ-ray spectrometer currently under construction, with completion planned for the early 2030s as part of upgrade plans for the Radioactive Isotope Beam Factory (RIBF) at the RIKEN Nishina Center, Japan. This novel array will significantly enhance opportunities for γ-ray spectroscopy experiments at the RIBF, the world’s premier facility for studying rare and exotic nuclei. HYPATIA will deliver superior time resolution, full-energy peak efficiency, Peak-to-Total and improved energy resolution. These advancements will enable groundbreaking studies of nuclear structure and reactions, opening new scientific horizons and pushing the boundaries of rare isotope physics.

Role

The successful candidate will play a key role in the construction of HYPATIA, supporting the delivery of the STFC-funded project “γRIBF-UK: Scintillator-based high-resolution γ-ray spectrometer at RIBF”. The role involves assembling and characterising the HYPATIA modules in the detector laboratory, and commissioning the HYPATIA modules at the RIBF. The stepwise implementation of HYPATIA to the existing DALI2+ array allows for uninterrupted scientific output until its completion, and we anticipate the successful candidate to propose and lead experiments at the RIBF, as well as define future research opportunities with the array. The successful candidate is also expected to demonstrate a strong background in analysis of large data sets from Nuclear Physics experiments and in simulations.

Skills, Experience & Qualification needed

You will have:

• PhD in Experimental Nuclear Physics or equivalent experience
• Hands-on experience with scintillator crystals and photosensor technology
• Experience of data analysis and simulations
• Experience of setting up and planning nuclear physics experiments
• Strong team working and communication skills

Interview date: TBC

For informal enquiries: Please contact Prof Marina Petri on marina.petri@york.ac.uk or Dr Stefanos Paschalis on stefanos.paschalis@york.ac.uk

The University strives to be diverse and inclusive – a place where we can ALL be ourselves.

We particularly encourage applications from people who identify as Black, Asian or from a Minority Ethnic background, who are underrepresented at the University.

We offer family friendly, flexible working arrangements, with forums and inclusive facilities to support our staff. #EqualityatYork

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