PhD Candidate / Research Assistant (f/m/d) part time 75%

Area of research:

Scientific / postdoctoral posts

Part-Time Suitability:

The position is suitable for part-time employment.

Starting date:

08.09.2021

Job description:

Heat transport in groundwater: The collaborative project is fully funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG). The work is supported by experienced, international experts from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) in Brisbane (Australia), Utrecht University (Netherlands) and the Forschungszentrum Jülich (Germany). It will be carried out in close cooperation with the Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg (MLU), which have a complementary focus on field-scale processes. The candidate of our subproject is dedicated to laboratory scale analysis of transient heat flow mechanisms in different porous media using well-controlled laboratory column experiments. The insight gained through these experiments will be complemented by numerical analyses to validate the concerted role of advection, conduction and dispersion in the presence of heterogeneities. Tight cooperation with the MLU will give the opportunity to develop a consistent view of micro- and macro-scale heat transport effects caused by heterogeneity.

Tasks:

• Task 1: To design, plan and carry out repeated laboratory column experiments with different grain sizes and flows.
• Task 2: To reproduce the transport conditions in detailed numerical models.
• Task 3: To review existing literature and datasets of experiments conducted by partners and colleagues.
• Task 4: To assess the individual role of advection, conduction and mechanical dispersion in the presence of different grain sizes and mixtures.
• Task 5: To co-develop a consistent mathematical formulation over multiple scales.

The candidate will conduct the research tasks under joint supervision of hydrogeologists and engineers. The work will be carried out mainly in Karlsruhe, with research stays at MLU as well as visits to CSIRO Brisbane (Australia). It will be based on a well-planned set of complementary activities combining laboratory work, computer-based analysis and interpretation. The participating research groups offer ideal working conditions with modern equipment and support by technicians and student assistants. The new findings will be published together in international journals and shared with the community by presentations during international conferences.

This research center is part of the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centers. With more than 42,000 employees and an annual budget of over € 5 billion, the Helmholtz Association is Germany's largest scientific organisation.