Postdoctoral Scholar in Condensed Matter and Plasma Theory

A postdoctoral position is available at UC Merced to work on the California Initiative for Solid-to-Plasma Dynamics for Fusion Energy, with Professors David Strubbe (physics), Aurora Pribram-Jones (chemistry and chemical biology), and Venkattraman Ayyaswamy (mechanical engineering). This project, funded by the University of California Office of the President, involves studying the early-time stages of formation of a plasma from a solid under intense laser irradiation, involving absorption, thermalization, electron-ion coupling, ionization, plasma equilibration, and plasma expansion. We are using electronic structure simulations (TDDFT and DFT), molecular dynamics, and kinetic plasma simulations. The project is a collaboration with UC Irvine, UC San Diego, UC Berkeley, and Lawrence Berkeley and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories, where experiments and other plasma simulations (including radiation hydrodynamics and machine learning methods) will be carried out. The postdoc may focus on electronic structure, molecular dynamics, and/or kinetic plasma simulations, depending on interests and qualifications, and may be jointly mentored by multiple PIs based on mutual interests. Duties will include developing theoretical methods, writing code, running calculations, communicating results in papers and conferences, mentoring graduate and undergraduate students, and collaborating with other partners in the project.

There will also be opportunities to interact with the Consortium for High-Energy Density Science [https://cfheds.ucmerced.edu/ ], which is an NNSA-funded collaboration between UC Merced, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Florida A&M University, and Morehouse College. The project focuses on theoretical understanding of the electronic structure of matter under high temperature and pressure, and education and outreach to broaden participation in this topic.