Staff Research Scientist

Responsibilities

Joining a multidisciplinary team, the scientist will advance real-time plasma exhaust monitoring and control for fusion devices, developing feedback-control capabilities using physics-based and AI state estimation, implementing applications within the Plasma Control System (PCS), and integrating high-resolution diagnostics.

The candidate will leverage novel real-time diagnostics and control tools to advance core-edge integrated scenarios in DIII-D, KSTAR, and other international devices.

The successful candidate will develop and deploy real-time feedback-control capabilities on DIII-D for plasma exhaust control, including divertor detachment and related edge-plasma applications.

This involves utilizing physics-based and AI-driven state estimation, diagnostic degradation/failure mitigation, and reduced-diagnostic approaches for control applications.

The position includes the implementation of diagnostic and control applications within the Plasma Control System (PCS), the integration of high-resolution real-time diagnostics and imaging data into the PCS, and the extension of the associated real-time computing infrastructure.

The successful candidate will also lead real-time diagnostic and control activities on the KSTAR tokamak and other magnetic fusion devices, including execution of experimental campaigns.

Conduct research and disseminate results in the form of talks, posters, and refereed journal articles, as well as eventual patents, resulting from the conducted research, in particular regarding real-time plasma exhaust diagnostics and control, plasma state estimation, and deployment of diagnostic and control applications for experimental fusion devices.

Develop and/or implement high-temporal-resolution real-time plasma diagnostics, including real-time plasma imaging.

Interface with PCS development groups at DIII-D and KSTAR for implementation of real-time computing systems and software relevant to the research.

Qualifications

• Minimum 3 years' experience post-PhD.
• Applicants must have a Ph.D. in plasma physics, nuclear engineering, or a related field.
• Strong analytical and English communication skills are required.
• Experience with real-time diagnostic development, PCS application development and deployment, knowledge of real-time computing systems and data streaming, and AI/ML model development for real-time diagnostic and control applications is strongly preferred.
• Expertise in feedback control of plasma exhaust, including divertor detachment and related edge-plasma applications, with demonstrated application on multiple fusion devices, along with the ability to lead and conduct experimental sessions, is strongly preferred.