Proposed PhD Topics
ENEN DATABASE
Proposed PhD Topics
University of Pisa (Unipi) is looking for strong and motivated PhD candidates from international Universities.
This year, Unipi offers over 300 PhD scholarships many of which will be in collaboration with or co-funded by companies. The PhD scholarship is for three years and no fees are requested by the University of Pisa for its PhD programs.
The proposed research topics of the PhD projects will be aligned with the most innovative research fields including green revolution and ecological transition, renewable energy, digital transition, circular economy, sustainable mobility, etc.
The University organizes transversal didactic activities every year, allowing to acquire competencies that go beyond the specialized notions of the individual PhD course. Moreover, abroad periods will be strongly encouraged for all PhD Students and further funds for travelling, accommodation, conference fees and other research budgets will be available.
On 20th July 2022 a second call has been open and the deadline will be on 23rd August at 1:00 p.m.
A third call will be open in September.
For all the information about the application, admission process etc., please visit the website https://dottorato2022.webhost1.unipi.it/en/home-english/.
More information is available at the website of the Doctoral studies of Politecnico di Milano (https://www.dottorato.polimi.it/?id=442&L=1)
and on the NRG website (http://www.nuclearenergy.polimi.it/4-industrial-phd-fellowships/).
The Reactor Engineering Division of the Jožef Stefan Institute (Ljubljana, Slovenia) is searching for PhD candidates for young researcher positions on the topics of computational fluid dynamics and structural mechanics.
Potential PhD research topics:
– Heat transfer for the forced-convection film boiling conditions
– Material damage under fluid-induced loads
– Flow boiling at high heat fluxes
– Simulations of turbulent stratified flows
The deadline for application is July 31, 2022.
More information on the potential research topics is here.
Call CLOSED
Background: JRC is developing/optimizing methods for the analysis of the safety performance of a repository, through the investigation of materials and radionuclides relevant to the safety of a repository, or for the radiotoxicity of 14C.
After an initial period in which the student will receive general instructions on the mission of the JRC and in particular the role of the EURATOM activities carried out on the Karlsruhe site in the field of nuclear fission, his/her research activity on carbon-14 concentration determination using SCAR will start.
Activities will be focused on the following main tasks:
- Analysis and optimization of the optical setup in terms of laser beam;
- Development, characterisation and optimisation of carbon extraction and oxidation systems.
- Experimental campaign on graphite samples with different activation levels. Those samples are real decommissioning ones and thus very relevant for the mission of the JRC.
- Investigation and characterization of other samples, such as activated reactor structural material, irradiated cladding and spent nuclear fuel.
Timeframe of the PhD research in the Unit
The duration of the PhD project will be three years. The PhD will spend approximately two years at JRC and 1 year in total at UniPi.
Expected outputs of the PhD research/thesis
The expected output of the PhD project will be:
- optimization of the optical setup in terms of laser beam– resonance cavity coupling and stability of its locking;
- optimization of the CO2 extraction procedure including the development of an automatic system to interface the carbon extraction system to the CO2 cryogenic trap;
- validation and (possibly) certification of techniques used for the investigation of materials and radionuclides relevant for the safety of a repository, or for the radiotoxicity of 14C for which there is no consolidated procedure in literature.
Expected results of the collaboration
The project will increase the analytical capabilities of both the HEI and JRC laboratories, lead to a strong improvement in the knowledge of tools and methods used/to use for the quantification of radiocarbon in waste materials from nuclear decommissioning.
The research work will positively impact on the activities dedicated to nuclear decommissioning at both JRC and DICI.
Globally the project will enhance the collaboration between the two Parties and might produce increased knowledge in analytical and experimental techniques for nuclear decommissioning with potential benefits for the entire European system.
Contact Person: professor Rosa Lo Frano rosa.lo.frano@unipi.it
The subject of the PhD thesis proposed here will contribute to the definition of the outline in collaboration with the different partners of the consortium, via the neutronic studies of the ARAMIS reactor. The thesis will focus on the calculation of the core and cycle performances, on the sensitivities to nuclear data, as well as on the study of the residual power. Other studies may be undertaken by the PhD student, depending on the progress of the thesis and of the ISAC project, particularly in connection with safety studies: core behavior in accident situations, participation in risk analysis in collaboration with EDF and Framatome. The thesis, which will be supported by the two laboratories LPSC and SUBATECH, will be carried out 50% in Nantes at SUBATECH and 50% in Grenoble at LPSC.
The full description can be found HERE
A collaboration team of the IFIC Valencia (Spain) and Subatech (France) is offering a PhD position under the topic “Study of exotic nuclei interesting for applied and fundamental nuclear physics with Total Absorption Gamma Spectroscopy (TAGS)”.
The collaboration has two proposals accepted at the the JYFL facility (Jyväskÿla-Finland) for the measurements of nuclei interesting for applied and fundamental physics.
One of these experiments should be done in 2022. The selected candidate will participate to the preparation of the detector, the experiment and to the following data analysis. This analysis will allow to compute the beta feeding distribution and to deduce the subsequent beta strength toward the daughter nucleus, for each studied nucleus.
The fellowship is funded by the SANDA European Project and the student will work in both IFIC and Subatech laboratories.
Applications should be send before 1st of June 2022. The PhD will start around September 2022.
The full description can be found HERE
Applications CLOSED
Sensitivities of neutron transport modes with Monte Carlo Methods
Despite being the reference neutron transport method, Monte Carlo used to be limited in its capacity to calculate sensitivities (relative change in output associated with a change in input, such as a cross-section), or adjoint-based outputs, such as kinetics parameters (effective delayed neutron fractions, etc.). This has completely changed with the very fast development of perturbation methods and generalization in most of the codes in the last decade [1]. This field is still growing and few researchers have focused on the question of the statistical convergence of those new objects when compared to the large bibliography that exists for other parameters, such as eigenvalues, in particular for problems with high dominance ratios, i.e. when the second eigenvalue is very close from the first one, the inverse of keff. Another very active field of research related to Monte Carlo is its use for the calculation of higher modes than the first eigenvalue or for other modes types. Many applications are based on the use of the modes of different formalisms, which are often “matrix filled” formalisms, i.e. formalisms that use matrices built from Monte Carlo tallies such as “Fission Matrices”. Kinetics calculations are historically based on spectral analysis and can now rely on Monte Carlo associated parameters for which sensitivities are also available [2].
The convergence of local variables such as local fluxes in Monte Carlo may be much slower than global ones, e.g. keff. The convergence of their sensitivities with the number of histories simulated is not well known and their actual convergence may be doubtful as it depends on « new » parameters of the Monte Carlo method used for the calculations of sensitivities such as the number of « latent » generations [3]. We expect that the convergence speed of the sensitivities of the modes would be faster, if they could be calculated.
The objective of this project is to work on the combination of the two dynamic fields discussed above and extend the sensitivity capacities of Serpent2 [4] for the calculation of the sensitivities of modes to different perturbations, such as nuclide densities or nuclear data, and to study the convergence speed of those new output parameters.
This PhD is part of the joint “NEEDS” project called SUDEC (Sensitivity Uncertainty comparison for Depletion Calculations) in which CNRS, CEA and IRSN work together to study the propagation of uncertainty in fuel burn-up calculations. Those fuel burn-up calculations rely on the calculation of reaction rates that can be considered as local variables that could be projected on an adequate mode base. The student will then contribute to the project by developing a key component of it and will benefit from the collective work and competencies of the partners.
Indicative timeline
Year 1
Tools discovery. Convergence tests of sensitivities of existing Serpent 2 outputs.
Preliminary set up of innovative mode calculation sensitivities.
Year 2
Development and tests of the performance of the sensitivities of the modes.
Research and set up of reduced models of coupling, with TH and/or depletion.
Year 3
End of developments.
In depths studies with the tools developed.
Manuscript and defence preparations.
PhD Director
Adrien Bidaud has 20 years of experience in the field of nuclear data uncertainty and sensitivities. Besides this research and the associated teaching activities, he also teaches and develops interdisciplinary research projects in long term energy prospective with energy economists. He is the co-chair of the Energy and Nuclear Engineering program of the Engineering school PHELMA of Grenoble Institute of Technology.
Laboratoire de Physique Subatomique et Cosmologie (http://lpsc.in2p3.fr)
The aim of the research at LPSC is to improve our knowledge about the most elementary particles and about the forces that govern their interactions. It helps to broaden our understanding of the universe, its structure and its evolution. These activities require the development of sophisticated, state-of-the-art instrumentation, a strong theoretical research activity as well as strong modelling competencies that support the experiments during the preparatory stages and during the data analysis.
The research also affects our everyday lives; for example, it enables to come up with innovative solutions in the field of nuclear power or cancer treatment and to train a new generation of researchers, teachers and engineers.
Candidates interested in teaching activities may be offered to contribute to the nuclear engineering curriculum of Grenoble Institute of Technologie (school PHELMA) and Université Grenoble Alpes, which include for instance electronics, mathematics, signal processing, nuclear instrumentation lab sessions, numerical methods, numerical methods projects etc.
Bibliography
[1] “Review of Early 21st-Century Monte Carlo Perturbation and Sensitivity Techniques for k- Eigenvalue Radiation Transport Calculations”, Brian Kiedrowski, Nuclear Science and Engineering, 2017, 185:3, 426-444, https://doi.org/10.1080/00295639.2017.1283153
[2] “Perturbation and sensitivity calculations for time eigenvalues using the Generalized Iterated Fission Probability, Alexis Jinaphanh, Andrea Zoia,
2019, Annals of Nuclear Energy, 133, 678-687, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anucene.2019.06.062
[3] « Sensitivity Analysis and Its Convergence Through Monte Carlo Calculations for the UAM GEN-III Benchmark: Application to Power Distributions », Pamela Lopez and Adrien Bidaud, Proceedings of the Conference: Mathematics and Computational Methods Applied to Nuclear Science and Engineering, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA, April 2021
[4] “A collision history-based approach to sensitivity/perturbation calculations in the continuous energy Monte Carlo code SERPENT”, Manuele Aufiero et al., Annals of Nuclear Energy, 2015, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anucene.2015.05.008.
Key-words: Neutronics, Nuclear Data sensitivity, Uncertainty analysis, Monte Carlo, Perturbation Theory.
Profile: Candidates must have a background in Reactor Physics, with a demonstrated knowledge of Neutron Transport. Some experience in Monte Carlo codes would be an asset.
Contact
Adrien Bidaud
LPSC – Groupe Physique des Réacteurs
Téléphone : 0476284045 email : bidaud@lpsc.in2p3.fr
THE PHD SHALL START IN: FALL 2022 – TO APPLY, CONTACT PROF. BIDAUD As Soon As Possible
Studying in Grenoble
https://www.univ-grenoble-alpes.fr/education/why-choose-uga/why-choose-uga-713448.kjsp
SCK CEN is welcoming PhD Applications until MARCH 23, 2022
Fields are diverse: nuclear technology, materials, radiation protection, waste & disposal, decommissioning, etc…
The list of available topics:
- 161Tb-labeled radiopharmaceuticals targeting mucin receptors for treatment of pancreatic cancer
- Advancement of personal neutron dosimetry by establishment of flexible reference simulated neutron workplace fields and computational neutron dosimetry
- Assessment of out-of-field doses in proton therapy with variation of clinical parameters
- Deep learning for 3D porous media reconstruction of clay and cement-based materials
- Development of a Numerical Multi-Physics Method to Analyze the Vibration Characteristics of Rotating Components in Liquid Metal
- Development of a thorium based target for the production and release of Ac225 at the ISOL facility of MYRRHA
- Development of fast and sensitive methods for radiotoxicological and biodistribution studies/analyses of radionuclides used in medical applications (e.g. 225Ac)
- Development of new ligands for selective separation of americium
- Development of TRNT radiopharmaceuticals targeting Hsp90
- Evolution of transport, microstructural and hygro-mechanical properties of cementitious materials subjected to coupled chemical degradation via a multiscale approach
- Experimental analysis of nuclear fuel depletion : method development, validation and uncertainty assessment
- Fecal microbiotal transplantation as a method for improving the outcomes of the dual radio- and immunotherapies within a colorectal cancer mouse model
- Finite element investigations of loading rate and crack configuration effects to extract fracture toughness from the Charpy impact test
- Formation mechanisms of nanovoid and nanobubble superlattices in fissile materials
- Functional characterization of D630023F18Rik in the DNA damage response and brain development
- HERMMES – Hadron Energy Resolved Measurement using Magnetic Electron Separation
- Impact of carbonation on corrosion, mechanical and transport properties of blended cements
- Improving Nuclear Fuel Microstructure Characterization By Multivariate Statistical Analysis of Scanning Electron Microscopy Data
- Influence of redox conditions and organic matter on the partitioning and mobility of naturally occurring radionuclides (NOR‘s) in geothermal systems
- Investigating the radioprotective mechanisms of biotic food supplements using human gut organoids-derived bioreactor
- Machine learning for accurate and efficient uncertainty quantification in radiological waste characterization
- Neutron Data Benchmarking at the VENUS-F zero power reactor for MYRRHA
- Optimization of computational dosimetry of workers in dismantling and decommissioning using machine learning
- Oxidation and corrosion mechanisms in actinide oxide systems
- Personal online dosimetry of astronauts using computational methods
- Photonuclear cross-section measurements for the production of medical radioisotope Actinium-225
- Quantitative Assessment of Corrosion Products Release Rate in Liquid LBE
- Shape controlled thorium dioxide precipitation routes
- Fuel Materials
- Small-scale mechanical punch testing for fusion and fission structural materials
- Sorption of radionuclides onto C-S-H and C-A-S-H at various degradation stages
- Super-resolved analysis of lamin-mediated DNA damage repair after high LET irradiation and its applicability to predictive modelling of individual radiation sensitivity in cancer patients
- The role of miRNAs in regulating dose rate and plant developmental-dependent responses to gamma-irradiation in rice
SCK CEN is looking for 2 PhD researchers in Nuclear Fusion & Geothermal system
REPRESENTATION OF HOMOGENIZED CROSS SECTIONS BY REDUCED MODELS AND MACHINE-LEARNING FOR MULTI-PHYSICS SIMULATION OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
This PhD program focuses on algorithms of machine-learning and data compression for model reduction, in order to optimize the reconstruction of few-group homogenized cross sections used for the computer simulation of nuclear reactors.
These data are fundamental for all coupled multi-physics calculations performed to study reactor design and safety. The use of data assimilation techniques will be considered to enhance the process of cross section preparation by lattice transport computer codes, thus allowing to properly address big data problems.
The improvements sought by the application of innovative mathematical methods aim at achieving a significant reduction in memory storage and in the overall computational time, still ensuring the best accuracy for the reconstructed cross sections.
LOCATION:
Département de Modélisation des Systèmes et Structures
Service des Réacteurs et de Mathématiques Appliquées
Laboratoire de Protection d’Etudes et de Conception
Place: Saclay, France
Start date of the thesis: Sept/Oct 2021
CONTACT PERSON:
Daniele Tomatis, Dr
e-mail : daniele.tomatis@cea.fr
CEA Saclay, France
Sciences Mathématiques de Paris Centre
Proposal in PDF format, French and English descriptions (one after the other) available for download , HERE
The Division of Applied Nuclear Physics at Uppsala University, together with Normandie Université (France) and GANIL, is looking for a doctoral student in experimental nuclear physics with focus on studies of neutron-induced reactions at the NFS (Neutrons For Science) facility at GANIL in Caen, France.
Description of the project: The main goal of this Ph. D. project is to perform experimental studies of different nuclear reactions induced by neutrons: production of light-ions and fission. The experiments will aim at improving the theoretical understanding of different nuclear reaction mechanisms, providing accurate nuclear data to fill gaps in the knowledge base for neutron cross-sections, and at increasing the accuracy of neutron reference cross sections.
The recently constructed NFS facility at GANIL (Caen, France) hosts the experimental setup Medley, developed by Uppsala University, which will be used to perform the envisaged measurements. Further upgrades of the setup, devoted to improve its performance, are ongoing and their implementation will also be a part of the Ph. D. project.
The main task for the PhD candidate will be to conduct cross-section measurements for nuclear fission and production of light ions induced by neutrons in the energy range 1-40 MeV, to collect and analyze data, and to compare the results with existing datasets and predictions of different theoretical model codes for nuclear reactions.
The doctoral student in this project will work in a multi-cultural environment and will have an active role in the group activities such as seminars, workshops, and courses. At the same time, he/she will be expected to work independently and to take personal responsibility for the progression of the project.
Since this Ph. D. project will lead to a double degree from Uppsala University (Sweden) and Normandie University (France), the candidate will spend two years in Caen, and two years in Uppsala.
Basic Information
- Salary: According to local agreement for PhD students.
- Starting date: 01-10-2021 or as otherwise agreed.
- Type of employment: Temporary position according to the Higher Education Ordinance chapter 5 § 7.
- Scope of employment: 100 %.
Opportunity details
Requirements:
- A Master’s degree or equivalent in a field that is relevant for the research project, such as (but not limited to) Physics, Engineering Physics, or similar, is required. However, you can apply already before you obtain the degree.
- Excellent communication skills are required in written and spoken English.
Desirable qualifications and experience:
- Documented experience of working in a physics-based research environment and practical laboratory experience with nuclear and/or particle physics instrumentation and detectors, as well as with pertaining data acquisition systems.
- Since the work involves rather complex data-analysis, we desire proven programming skills. Previous knowledge in ROOT framework and in simulation environments (such as GEANT4, MCNP, FLUKA…) would be highly appreciated. Please provide documentation of the extent and type of experience.
- While the project is mainly experimental, experience and interest in theoretical nuclear physics would be an advantage.
Employment conditions:
The Doctoral student position is a 4-year appointment, shared between Uppsala University (Sweden) and Normandie University (France). The position is fully financed and the salary is in accordance with local guidelines at both universities. The candidate will primarily devote the time to his/her own research studies. Extension by several months in Uppsala is possible by including department duties at a level of at most 20%, typically teaching.
Information on post-graduate education, rules governing the enrollment as a doctoral student in The Higher Education Act and Higher Education Ordinance as well as the rules and regulations for doctoral students at Uppsala University can be found here: http://www.teknat.uu.se/education/postgraduate/
Rules governing PhD students are set out in the Higher Education Ordinance chapter 5, §§ 1-7 and in Uppsala University’s rules and guidelines.
For further information about the position please contact: Diego Tarrío, Ph.D.; email: diego.tarrio@physics.uu.se; phone: +46 70-167 90 79, Xavier Ledoux, Ph.D.; email: xavier.ledoux@ganil.fr.
Please submit your application by 30 July 2021, UFV-PA 2021/2204.
Proposal in PDF format, available for download HERE
For further information, please visit THIS LINK
The Reactor Engineering Division at the Jožef Stefan Institute, Slovenia, offers a four-year, full-time PhD position starting on October 2021.
JSI is looking for a PhD student to strengthen their research team in the field of computational structural mechanics, structural integrity and ageing of nuclear materials. The research team is specialized in the development of multiscale computational simulation tools for polycrystalline metallic alloys. The research focuses on the explicit modelling and simulations of ageing effects at the level of microstructure to improve the understanding of local cracking conditions.
Using statistical analysis of the simulation results, the goal is to identify critical parameters affecting the material integrity. The PhD research topic will be along these directions.
Basic Information
- Type : Full-time, 4 year PhD position (Young Researcher)
- Domain : Computational Structural Mechanics & Nuclear Materials
- Country : Slovenia
- Organisation : Jozef Stefan Institute
Opportunity details
The position is funded by the Slovenian Research Agency within the Young researchers program.
The PhD student will work at the Reactor Engineering Division at the Jožef Stefan Institute under the supervision of dr. Samir El Shawish.
JSI is looking for a candidate with a master’s degree in physics or similar field with good programming skills.
Experience with finite element modelling is beneficial but not required. JSI expects a high level of motivation and diligence from the candidate, and they offer the possibility of conducting top scientific research and an excellent starting point for the development of a scientific career. The PhD student will be provided with a creative and stimulating research environment, access to a high-performance computing cluster and enabled training abroad.
Application deadline: June 30, 2021 – send your CV & Motivation Letter to samir.elshawish@ijs.si.
The PDF proposal can be downloaded from HERE
Available PhD topics at the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre
Within the Institute for Advanced Nuclear Systems:
- Nuclear magnetic resonance and radiotracing of radioactive Li-8 to study diffusion of different Li+ species in solid electrolytes
- On-line optimization of ISOL@MYRRHA performance through an intelligent and automated control system
- Quantitative Assessment of Corrosion Products Release Rate in Liquid LBE
- Ultrasound detection of Impurity Particles in Liquid LBE
Within the Institute for Environment, Health and Safety:
- Advancement of personal neutron dosimetry by establishment of flexible reference simulated neutron workplace fields and computational neutron dosimetry
- Copper-based materials as potential antimicrobials for spaceflight activities
- Development of 3D models to study cardiac ageing in space
- Elucidation of neurological risks and associated pathways after early-life cranial radiotherapy making use of a novel preclinical model
- Establishing a framework for dosimetry in ultra-short pulsed high dose rate “FLASH” electron radiations
- Evolution of microstructure, mineralogy and mechanical properties of metakaolin-based geopolymer under irradiation at early ages
- Impact on changing soil conditions following inundation on radionuclide and heavy metal (re)mobilization and the interplay with the soil microbiome
- Influence of redox conditions and organic matter on the partitioning and mobility of naturally occurring radionuclides (NOR‘s) in geothermal systems
- Integromics – Towards integration of big biomolecular data to enable systems biology
- Investigation of the effect of the pore fluid chemistry on the hydro-mechanical behavior of Boom Clay (C-H-M coupling behavior of Boom Clay)
- Long-term consequences of exposure to nuclear accident relevant radionuclides in Lemna minor from (epi)genetic to community level effects.
- Modelling of the dose-response for nephrotoxicity in preclinical targeted radionuclide therapy with 161Tb and 177Lu radiolabeled peptides
- Modelling of tumor control probability in preclinical targeted radionuclide therapy
- Multi-scale study of delayed ettringite formation in concrete
- Radiation-induced proneural-mesenchymal transition in glioblastoma: how does it work and how can it be prevented?
- Social dimensions of environmental management
- Studying the long-term effects of the nuclear Chernobyl accident on a radiosensitive plant, Pinus sylvestris, using a multi-level-omics approach
- Synergetic influence of leaching and alkali-silica reaction on the properties of cemented waste-forms containing high nitrate content
- Three Dimensional Flow-field Reconstruction using LIDAR Measurements for Near-Range Atmospheric Dispersion
Within the Institute for Nuclear Materials Science:
- Assessment of low irradiation temperature effects on hardening and embrittlement of reactor materials using destructive and non-destructive damage evaluation techniques
- Designing metal oxide-based stationary phases for the separation of 225Ac and 213Bi for biomedical applications
- Development of a new extraction system for selective americium separation from spent nuclear fuels
- Development of chelators for Ac-225 based radiopharmaceuticals
- Fatigue damage in fusion and GEN IV reactor steels: FEM modelling and experimental study
- Finite element investigations of loading rate and crack configuration effects to extract fracture toughness from the Charpy impact test
- Formation mechanisms of nanovoid and nanobubble superlattices in fissile materials
- Medical radioisotope supply chain design for security: efficiency, alignment and speed
- Thermal Conductivity evolution of MTR fuels with burnup accumulation
- Uranium speciation and corrosion mechanisms in nuclear fuel materials
Basic Information
- Domain : Nuclear Science and Technology
- Country : Belgium
- Organisation : SCK CEN
Important deadlines
Deadline for applications: March 31, 2021
First step: selection based on application file: April 30, 2021
Second step: oral presentation on the research topic: May 19, 20 and 21, 2021
Notification final result (the latest): June 30, 2021
Standard start date (earliest): October 1, 2021
More info HERE