Modeling and Simulation of Ionized Gas Flows for Electric Propulsion and Related Material Interactions

About the role

The postdoc position seeks a recent Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering or a related field in science or engineering (within the past 3 years) with a strong background in particle-based (kinetic) and fluid (continuum) methods for the modeling and simulation (M&S) of dense and rarefied ionized gas flows.

Responsibilities

• Application, enhancement, and extension of existing in-house and open-source fluid-kinetic (hybrid) codes for the M&S of plasma processes in EP and related laboratory and space applications, with the possibility of developing new tools where programmatic needs warrant;
• Contribution to the validation and verification of simulation tools against laboratory and in-flight data;
• Dissemination of research results through peer-reviewed publications and presentations at scientific conferences.

Requirements

• Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering or a closely related science or engineering field, awarded within the past 3 years
• Demonstrated expertise in kinetic (particle) and/or continuum (fluid) numerical simulation methods, with evidence of substantive application in the doctoral dissertation
• Solid background in the physics of ionized and neutral flows
• Proficiency in scientific programming languages, especially Fortran but also C, C++, Python, or equivalent

Qualifications

• Strong grounding in particle and continuumbased numerical simulation methods
• Solid command of the underlying physics that govern coupled plasma, hydrodynamic, and electromagnetic processes
• Experience with PIC-MCC codes used in plasma physics communities (EP, fusion, astrophysics, pulsed power, or related fields)
• Background in EP plasma physics and its M&S
• Strong publication record commensurate with career stage, including peer-reviewed journal articles and/or conference papers of high technical quality
• Demonstrated initiative, creativity, and ability to work collaboratively in a multidisciplinary team environment
• Effective written and oral communication skills

Skills

• Expertise in hybrid (kinetic-continuum) numerical methods
• Experience with Particle-in-Cell (PIC) with Monte Carlo Collisions (MCC) methods for the simulation of ionized gases
• Background in continuum fluid mechanics and its numerical simulation
• Knowledge of magnetohydrodynamics (MHD)

Benefits

• One year appointment, renewable for up to three years based on funding availability and programmatic needs

Pay

• N/A

Schedule

• N/A

Application Instructions

To apply, please visit the NASA Postdoctoral Program website: How to Apply | NASA Postdoctoral Program (orau.org)

A complete application to the NASA Postdoctoral Program includes:

• Research proposal
• Three letters of recommendation
• Official doctoral transcript documents