Post-Doctoral Researcher in Experimental Nuclear Physics

Position Details

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

Full Time, Fixed Term contract up to August 2023

This role is also open as an internal secondment opportunity which would need to be agreed by your current line manager

Role Summary

The High-Flux Accelerator-Driven Neutron Facility (HF-ADNeF) is a national user facility funded through the NNUF (National Nuclear User Facilities) programme and is due to be commissioned in 2022. Though this facility is predominantly for materials research, we have obtained funding for feasibility work towards nuclear astrophysics experiments at HF-ADNeF. This is an exciting opportunity at a world-leading facility in the UK and to work towards a future nuclear astrophysics capability using intense neutron beams.

Main Duties

The high flux accelerator-driven neutron source is based in the Medical Physics Building of the School of Physics & Astronomy and will be involved in a wide variety of research and commercial projects — predominantly focused on materials research for the fission and fusion communities. Thus, any end-station suitable for sensitive nuclear astrophysics studies, must be both modular and moveable as well as comprising materials with low neutron activation cross sections. This post is for a project to simulate, design and test components of a modular neutron collimation system and shielded measurement area at the neutron facility. The long-term aim is to work towards making measurements utilising both fast and thermal neutron beams for nuclear astrophysics experiments, such as those relevant to the astrophysical slow neutron capture process that takes place in giant stars. This facility shares the building with the School’s MC40 Cyclotron. Both accelerators benefit from a shared pool of operators and other technical posts as well as a wealth of expertise on neutron production, measurement and shielding.

The post-holder will work within the nuclear physics group and alongside the accelerator operating team as well as liaising with workshop technicians on fabrication in our state-of-the-art workshops located in the School of Physics and Astronomy. The post-holder will be responsible for the following.

Perform detailed simulations using the neutron-source term to design a neutron- and gamma-shielded detector station with astrophysics reaction target, comprising the following tasks:

• Build a simple Monte-Carlo model of the shielded area using GEANT4/MCNP including the neutron-target source term and the provisional collimator design.
• Optimise the shielding design for neutron rate at the secondary target position and use simulations to benchmark options for neutron monitoring for flux measurements after the collimator during experiments.

 Person Specification

The tasks detailed in this document are complex, multifaceted and require skills ranging from simulations and coding, optimisation strategies, neutron physics, design, awareness of the fabrication-process and experimental aptitude in order to test and benchmark the performance of components.

Skills and experience

Essential:

PhD in experimental nuclear physics

Significant previous simulation experience with either GEANT4 and/or MCNP

Significant hands-on knowledge of nuclear electronics and measurement systems

Experience of working within a research environment

Desirable:

Computer-aided design and fabrication experience

Working knowledge of vacuum systems

Experience in working within a radiation environment

A working knowledge of high vacuum technology

Informal enquires to Carl Wheldon, email: c.wheldon@bham.ac.uk

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