Postdoctoral Fellow: Study of the high-pressure-temperature behavior of natural gas hydrates.

Updated: 10 months ago
Deadline: The position may have been removed or expired!

The

Laboratory for Quantum Magnetism

, Institute of Physics at the EPFL, is seeking a Postdoctoral Fellow to study the high-pressure-temperature behavior of natural gas hydrates.


Your mission :
The project will focus on the high-pressure-temperature structures, stability range, and proton dynamics of natural gas hydrates (NGH) (mainly H2, CH4, CO2), with applications to gas storage and to modeling of icy moons and planets. NGHs are constituted by hydrogen-bonded H2O polyhedral cages, structurally similar to fullerenes, hosting gas molecules in their interior. They are common on Earth in oceanic shelves and permafrost regions, and are particularly fascinating for their potential energy and environmental applications. Their thermal transport properties under HP conditions encountered in the largest icy moons and the newly discovered water-rich exoplanets are fundamental for their description, as clathrate hydrates naturally form in the water-rich interior of those bodies, potentially storing huge amount of volatiles. Pressure is a key parameter in the study of NGHs as it remarkably increases the temperature range of their stability and their gas uptalking by inducing substantial variations in the water-gas distances, promotes structural transitions trough gas-rich structures and new gas-water interactions, and can accelerate gas exchange phenomena (such as CH4-CO2 exchange). The project will involve using a combination of experimental techniques, including X-ray and neutron diffraction, quasi-elastic neutron scattering, and Raman spectroscopy.

Main duties and responsibilities include :
- Participate in the FNS Exotic-Ices research programme studying methane and hydrogen hydrates under extreme conditions.
- Conduct
experiments under high static pressure using in-lab Raman spectroscopy, neutron scattering and synchrotron X-ray diffraction.
- Settle high pressure conductivity measurements in the Paris-Edinbourg setup.
- Compare your results with advanced ab-initio and DFT molecular dynamics simulations performed in the group.
- Perform data analysis, present your results at international conferences and write publications in the peer reviewed journals.

Your profile :
- Ph.D. in Physics, Chemical Physics, Materials Science, Geophysics or a related field.
- Strong hands-on experimental skills and ability to work independently and collaboratively in a group environment.
- Expertise with high-pressure experiments, neutron diffraction or x-ray, Raman scattering.

We offer :
- A research lab with state-of-the-art equipment.
- Collaboration with a dynamic and interesting team.
- An exceptional working environment at the heart of the EPFL community, including over 10,000 students and 3,500 researchers from 120 different countries.
- A competitive salary and an ideal starting point for a scientific career.

Start date :
June 1st, 2023.

Term of employment :
Fixed-term (CDD)

Duration :
2 years. The initial appointment is for one year, with the possibility of one additional year pending progress (funds available).

Contact :
Inquiries can be sent to Livia E. Bove ([email protected])

Remark :
Only candidates who applied through EPFL website or our partner Jobup’s website will be considered. Files sent by agencies without a mandate will not be taken into account.

Reference :
Job Nb 2672

apply online

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