PhD positions in Physics with focus on developing methods for ultrafast videography - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

The Division of Combustion Physics is well-established and internationally recognized for its excellence in development and applications of laser-based methods for characterization of combustion processes. In recent years this research has been extended to other high-temperature gas-phase processes. In addition, the division has strong research on development of mechanisms describing the complex chemical kinetics of combustion. The research is conducted together with partners at other departments within the Faculty of Engineering as well as at other academia and in industry, both nationally and internationally. The current research facility, the Enoch Thulin Laboratory at the Department of Physics, was inaugurated in 2001 and currently hosts around 50 researchers. http://www.forbrf.lth.se/english/.

Job assignment
High-speed videography has become a standard tool within science nowadays, with the possibility of filming up to 1 million frames per second, i.e. one frame every microsecond. However, many phenomena in nature occur on time scale where even a single microsecond would be considered a very long time. Examples are rapid chemical reactions, light-based phenomena and plasmas. These processes may occur on a few picoseconds, or sometimes even faster, which is several orders of magnitude faster than what commercial high-speed cameras are capable of filming. Our understanding of the dynamics for ultrafast phenomena is thus very limited. 

Arbetet som skall utföras i dessa doktorandtjänster går ut på att vidareutveckla och använda en ny sorts laser-baserad filmningsmetod, som i princip har en obegränsad filmningshastighet. Metoden kallas FRAME (Frequency Recognition Algorithm for Multiple Exposures) och 2017 lyckades vi på Avdelningen för Förbränningsfysik demonstrera att FRAME kan filma 5.000.000 gånger snabbare än moderna höghastighetskameror – snabb nog att filma ljus när det färdas i rummet. Målet med doktorandtjänsterna är att bygga vidare på FRAME-konceptet för att både utveckla- samt applicera metoden på processer inom kemin och fysiken som ingen tidigare kunnat filma. 

FRAME är en mycket ung teknik och det krävs mycket arbete innan vi kommer förstå dess fulla potential. Detta innefattar både mycket experimentellt arbete men samtidigt även stor del bildanalys och matematik. FRAME bygger nämligen på att ”koda” filmrutorna med laserljus för att därefter, i efterbehandlingen, ”avkoda” filmrutorna. Den första doktorandtjänsten kommer därför vara mer inriktad på den experimentella delen av FRAME och vara ansvarig för den nya femtosekundslasern som projektet kommer införskaffa. Den andra doktorandtjänsten kommer ha mer fokus på bildbehandlingen av FRAME-data, dock kommer även denna tjänst innefatta experimentellt arbete. Tjänsterna är tänkta som komplement till varandra och det förväntas ske stort samarbete och utbyte av kunskap mellan dem. 

För mer information kring FRAME, besök: http://www.spray-imaging.com/frame.html

Entry requirements
A person meets the general admission requirements for third-cycle courses and study programmes if he or she:

• has been awarded a second-cycle qualification, or
• has satisfied the requirements for courses comprising at least 240 credits of which at least 60 credits were awarded in the second cycle, or
• has acquired substantially equivalent knowledge in some other way in Sweden or abroad.

A person meets the specific admission requirements for third-cycle studies in Combustion Physics if he or she has:

• at least 30 credits of relevance to the subject, including at least 15 second-cycle credits, and a second-cycle degree project of at least 15 credits of relevance to the field, or
• an MSc in engineering physics or an associated field, or a Master’s degree in physics or an associated field.

Additional requirements:

Very good oral and written proficiency in English 

Basis of assessment
Selection to doctoral studies is based on the expected ability to perform well and profit from the studies. The assessment of the ability to perform well is based primarily on academic results from first- and second-cycle studies, in particular: 

1. Knowledge and skills relevant to the thesis project and the subject of study, such as a broad and thorough preparation in physics or other relevant subject, for example combustion engineering. This can be documented by appended documents.
2. An assessment of ability to work independently and to formulate and tackle research problems. This ability can be established, for example, based on undergraduate research experiences, a Master's thesis or in a discussion of scientific problems during a possible interview.
3. Skills in written and oral communication.
4. Other experience relevant to the third-cycle studies, e.g. professional experience.

Other assessment criteria:

Consideration will also be given to good collaborative skills, drive, and independence, as well as how the applicant, through his or her experience and skills, is deemed to have the abilities necessary for successfully completing the third-cycle programme. 

Terms of employment
Only those who are or have been admitted to PhD-studies may be appointed to a PhD position. A PhD position is an employment with the main duty to be engaged in PhD studies according to the study plan. The duration of PhD studies is 4 years’ full-time studies. In addition, teaching and other institutional duties normally occur at a level of at most 20% of full time. The position is then extended correspondingly, however not longer than corresponding to 5 years’ full-time employment. PhD positions are subject to special regulations. These can be found in the Swedish Higher Education Ordinance (1993:100), chapter 5, 1-7 §§. 

Application procedure
Apply for the position via the link at the bottom of the vacancy notice. Applications can be written in Swedish or English, and include a cover letter stating the reasons why you are interested in the position and in what way the research project corresponds to your interests and educational background. The application must also contain a CV, degree certificate or equivalent, and other documents you wish to be considered (grade transcripts, contact information for your references, letters of recommendation, etc.). The applicant will be asked to answer qualification questions as a first step in the application procedure.