Postdoctoral Fellow in Scientific Computing with Focus on Modeling of Ice Sheets in contact with the Ocean

Ref. No. SU FV-0783-22

at the Department of Mathematics . Closing date: 31 March 2023.

The Department of Mathematics at Stockholm University has 39 faculty staff members and is divided into three divisions: Mathematics, Mathematical statistics and Computational Mathematics. This postdoctoral position is in the Division of Computational Mathematics, which carries out research in a wide range of topics including numerical analysis, programming logic, computational biology, and computational statistics.

Project description
Ice sheets melt in contact with warm ocean water, which contributes to rising sea levels. The input of cold and fresh glacier water into the ocean also modifies ocean currents. The nonlinear feedback mechanisms in ice-ocean interaction are important to understand for reliable predictions of responses to climate change, but are also difficult to model. Simulations of the physical processes are sensitive to numerical approximation and discretisation techniques, are often subject to instabilities and set high demands on computing power.

This project aims to use and further develop modern methods from computational fluid dynamics for modeling of ice in contact with the ocean. The postdoctoral researcher will explore how level set and phase field method can be used to represent the ice/ocean boundary, as well as tools for turbulence modeling and non-Newtonian flow if of interest. Modern approaches and large-scale parallel simulations will be utilized.

The project is a collaboration between the department of Mathematics at Stockholm University and FLOW, KTH, in the Department of Engineering Mechanics.  FLOW is a continuation of the Linné FLOW Centre at KTH started in January 2007 and is one of 20 original centres of excellence set up by the Swedish Research Council (VR), as the result of a highly competitive process with international evaluation. The role of FLOW is to bring together and coordinate the fundamental fluid dynamics research performed by the partners. The position is funded by SeRC (Swedish e-Science Research Centre), an environment within the strategic research area (SRA) of e-Science by the Swedish government Strategic Research Area Initiative. The mission statement of SeRC is to develop state-of-the-art e-Science tools and provide e-infrastructure support to existing and emerging e-Science communities to achieve scientific breakthroughs in Sweden.

Main responsibilities
The postdoctoral researcher will acquire an overview of both ice–ocean interaction as well as the numerical methods for phase change, interface tracking, non-Newtonian mechanics and turbulence modeling used at FLOW. The researcher will then develop modern methods for modelling physical processes relevant to ice-ocean models, and use the outcome to improve large-scale ice/ocean models, e.g. by constructing  improved parametrization of the melting at the ice/ocean interface.

The postdoctoral researcher is expected to  interact with other researchers within SeRC (Swedish e-Science Research Centre), as well as the Department of Meteorology (MISU), Stockholm University and international collaborators.

Qualification requirements
Postdoctoral positions are appointed primarily for purposes of research. Applicants are expected to hold a Swedish doctoral degree or an equivalent degree from another country.

Assessment criteria
The degree must have been completed at latest before the employment decision is made, but no more than three years before the closing date. An older degree may be acceptable under special circumstances. Special reasons refer to sick leave, parental leave, elected positions in trade unions, service in the total defense, or other similar circumstances as well as clinical attachment or service/assignments relevant to the subject area.

In the appointment process, special attention will be given to research skills. The ideal applicant has experience in:

• Computational fluid dynamics or non-Newtonian mechanics.
• Programming in in-house/open-source codes (python, Fortran90, C++, FEniCS, Elmer/Ice).
• Finite Element Methods or Finite Difference Methods.
• Numerical methods for Fluid Mechanics, Structural Mechanics, non-Newtonian mechanics and Stokes equations.
• Applications in geophysics or multiphase flows.
• High-performance computing.

The candidate  should have excellent communication skills and be willing to discuss with scientists from different research fields, such as from geophysics, fluid and solid mechanics, glaciology and pure mathematics. 

Terms of employment
The position involves full-time employment for a minimum of two years and a maximum of three years, with the possibility of extension under special circumstances. Start date 2023-04-01 or as per agreement.

Stockholm University strives to be a workplace free from discrimination and with equal opportunities for all.

Contact
Further information about the position can be obtained from Assistant Professor Josefin Ahlkrona, [email protected] , and Associate Professor Outi Tammisola, [email protected] .

General inquiries may also be directed to the Head of the Division of Computational Mathematics, Lars Arvestad, [email protected] .

Union representatives
Ingrid Lander (Saco-S), telephone: +46 708 16 26 64, [email protected] , Alejandra Pizarro Carrasco (Fackförbundet ST/OFR), telephone: +46 8 16 34 89, [email protected] , and [email protected] (SEKO).

Application
Apply for the position at Stockholm University's recruitment system. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the application is complete in accordance with the instructions in the job advertisement, and that it is submitted before the deadline.

Please include the following information with your application

• Your contact details and personal data
• Your highest degree
• Your language skills
• Contact details for 2–3 references

and, in addition, please include the following documents

• Cover letter
• CV – degrees and other completed courses, work experience and a list of publications
• Research proposal (no more than 3 pages) describing:
  – why you are interested in the field/project described in the advertisement
  – why and how you wish to complete the project
  – what makes you suitable for the project in question
• Copy of PhD diploma
• Letters of recommendation (no more than 3 files)
• Publications in support of your application (no more than 3 files).

The instructions for applicants are available at: How to apply for a position .

You are welcome to apply!

Stockholm University contributes to the development of sustainable democratic society through knowledge, enlightenment and the pursuit of truth.

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