Senior Research Associate in potassium isotope cosmochemistry

The role

The position initially involves turning significant progress we have made in establishing a critical-mixture double spiking method for the high precision analysis of mass-dependent K isotope variations into a fully operational methodology. The project will then apply this technique to making analyses of bulk meteorites to better quantify and understand the process of volatile loss in planetary bodies. This work constitutes part of the VAPLOSS ERC Grant to Dr Remco Hin (CNR, Milan). The successful candidate will be part of this team as well as a member of the Bristol Isotope group in the School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol.

What will you be doing?

The position dominantly involves careful work in a clean laboratory and mass-spectrometry suite. The post-holder will need to make low-blank, silicate sample digestions and separate K from matrix elements using ion-chromatography. They will also prepare and calibrate a ⁴¹K-⁴⁰K spike that will be added to samples for the analysis procedure. Potassium samples will be analysed on a thermal ionisation multi-collector mass-spectrometer, although there is also scope for analysis using a collision cell, multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass-spectrometer. An initial phase will consolidate our existing experience to establish a high-precision measurement protocol. The successful candidate will reduce the double-spiked measurements to determine mass-dependent isotopic variations of K in various bulk meteorite samples. The results and inferences will be written up for publication.

You should apply if

Applicants are encouraged who have an enthusiasm for making challenging but innovative analytical measurements. We welcome applicants with extensive experience in high-precision, inorganic isotope ratio measurement, especially in a cosmochemical context. As well as a strong analytical background, a good understanding of key processes during the growth of solid planets is needed. 

Additional information

Contract type: Open ended with fixed funding until 30/09/2026

This advert will close at 23:59 UK time on 29/09/2025

For informal queries, please contact: Tim Elliott tim.elliott@bristol.ac.uk, remco.hin@cnr.it 

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