Postdoctoral Research Assistant in Inertial Confinement Fusion Research

Applications are invited for a Postdoctoral Research Assistant in Inertial Confinement Fusion Research.

The post is available initially for a fixed-term duration until 31 March 2026, with the possibility of extension subject to funding.

The UK Programme of Laser Inertial Fusion Technology for Energy (UPLiFT) is a 4 year £10M research programme funded by the UK government’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. UPLiFT’s goal is to develop key science and technologies which will be required to realise power generation via laser inertial fusion; Inertial Fusion Energy (IFE). The successful candidate will be a member of a large multi-disciplinary team working on UPLiFT’s Physics work package (others include the development of IFE lasers and implosion targets).

At plasma conditions such as those found in Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) implosions transport of charged particles is a challenging problem that is difficult to simulate as well as diagnose in experiments. For example, particle velocities can reach relativistic values in the tail of the momentum distribution. Understanding how these relativistic electrons are transported through the plasma is a complex multi-scale problem that requires accurate sub-grid models (e.g., Particle-in-Cell or Vlasov codes) coupled to a hydrodynamic simulation. In general, charged-particle transport is a non-trivial task, not only because of the large computational resources that are needed, but also because it is prone to undetermined error propagation and validation and because it is intertwined with multi-scale, turbulent dynamics. Reliable experiments that can validate those models are missing. This projects will address all, or some, of these challenges.  

We are looking for a postdoc to drive the development of an in-depth understanding of transport in plasmas, including via methods based upon Molecular Dynamics and Particle-in-Cell techniques as well as experiments. We also envision that the ideal candidates will provide support to experimentalists and/or directly drive those investigations with simulations and data analysis, as well as providing interpretation of the data. Depending on the specific attitudes and interests of the candidate the job may focus more on the preparation and design of those experiments or, alternatively, to perform large-scale simulations for experiments planned at facilities such as the National Ignition Facility at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the Omega laser facility at the University of Rochester.

The post-holder will have the opportunity to teach. This may include lecturing, small group teaching, and tutoring of undergraduates and graduate students.

Applicants should hold a PhD, or be close to obtaining of one, in physics or a related field and have a background in computational plasma physics or experimental plasma physics.

Previous experience (experimental or theoretical) in plasma physics.

Candidates are expected to be able to work in a multidisciplinary environment. We would like the posts to start as soon as possible.

Please direct enquiries about the role to:

Prof Gianluca Gregori (Gianluca.gregori@physics.ox.ac.uk)

Only applications received before midday (UK time) 14 May 2025 can be considered.

You will be required to upload a statement of research interests, CV and details of two referees as part of your online application.

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