Senior Tokamak Disruption Physicist

UK Atomic Energy Authority; Abingdon; Hybrid; GBP 42,000 - 57,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading energy research organization in the UK is seeking a Senior Tokamak Disruption Physicist to model, document, and mitigate disruptions in tokamaks. The ideal candidate will manage research projects, supervise students, and collaborate internationally. This role also involves writing journal articles and participating in conferences. A PhD in Physics or a related field is essential. The position offers a competitive salary and flexibility in working arrangements.

Qualifications

• Understanding of disruptions and mitigation strategies.
• Experience in research project management.
• Ability to lead experiments and collaborate internationally.

Responsibilities

• Propose and lead disruption experiments on MAST-U.
• Model aspects of disruptions using relevant tools.
• Oversee PhD students and postdoctoral researchers.
• Manage research projects and build external collaborations.

Skills

Modeling disruptions

Collaboration in research

Leadership

Database management

Publications in scientific journals

Education

PhD in Physics or related field

Tools

MHD equilibrium and stability codes

Nonlinear MHD codes

Job description

The salary for this role is £42,858 - £56,596 (inclusive of a Specialist Allowance). Onsite working is expected for 3 days each week, however, we actively support requests for flexible working. This role can be based at any of the following sites; Culham, Oxfordshire This role requires employees to complete an online Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS), including The Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) checks for criminal convictions and possibly a search of open source data. The Role Are you looking for an exciting opportunity to make a difference? Join our team and contribute to the future of fusion energy. As Senior Tokamak Disruption Physicist, you will play a pivotal role is to model/ document disruptions and disruption mitigation and avoidance, and disruption forecasting in tokamaks. Understanding disruptions and how to avoid and mitigate them is an important step in the route to commercial fusion power. Various opportunities are available for this job holder including documenting and modelling disruptions on MAST-U, investigating disruptions in other EUROfusion machines including JET data, and understanding disruptions in future power plants such as STEP. Additional Responsibilities:

• Propose, lead and carry out disruption experiments on MAST-U and develop the strategy for investigating disruptions and their mitigation on MAST-U and use the database of MAST/MAST-U disruptions to improve the understanding of disruptions in spherical tokamaks.
• Model aspects of disruptions and their mitigation: tools may include MHD equilibrium and stability codes and nonlinear MHD codes including models of the conducting structures around the plasma and collaborate internationally on this work.
• Lead work with diagnosticians to document disruptions and mitigated disruptions.
• Participate in the WPTE EUROfusion programmes as appropriate, potentially also act as Scientific
• Coordinator for one of these experiments.
• To oversee PhD students from external universities and postdoctoral researchers, supervising project work and providing recommendations and direction to build on competence and capability.
• Manage research projects on disruption physics for over annual timescales e.g. for WPTE.
• Lead work on understanding the likely types of disruption on STEP and their consequences and develop mitigation and avoidance strategies.
• Write refereed journal articles and attend international conferences on magnetic fusion as agree with management.
• Responsible for building a strong network of external collaborations.