Burning Plasma Scientist
About The Position
Thea Energy is leveraging recent breakthroughs in stellarator physics and engineering to create a faster and simpler approach to commercializing fusion energy. The company is reinventing the stellarator using computer-controlled arrays of planar coils thereby replacing the intricate, complex modular magnets required in all other stellarator architectures. Thea Energy is on a mission to create a limitless source of zero emission energy for a sustainable future. Thea Energy is looking for a highly motivated Burning Plasma Scientist to join our Physics team, focusing on modeling energetic particle confinement and transport. In this role, you will run high-fidelity simulations and pioneer the use of Machine Learning surrogates to accelerate our design cycles. You will work directly with our optimization team to ensure our magnetic topologies manage fast-ion loss and heat loads effectively.
Requirements
- PhD in Plasma Physics, Computational Physics, or related field (or Masterâs / Bachelorâs with equivalent research experience)
- Proficiency in programming languages commonly used in scientific computing (e.g. Python, Fortran, C++, or MATLAB)
- Creative problem solving and proven ability to thrive in collaborative environments such as startups or research groups
- Willingness to collaborate with a diverse team of scientists and engineers within the company and externally
- Passion for advancing the field of fusion energy research
Nice To Haves
- Familiarity with kinetic, MHD or particle-following codes
- Experience developing Machine Learning surrogates for physical systems
- Familiarity with energetic particle diagnostics
Responsibilities
- Execute and analyze high-fidelity simulations using particle-following codes to assess alpha particle and neutral beam ion confinement in 3D magnetic geometries
- Investigate Alfvén Eigenmode (AE) stability using kinetic-MHD hybrid codes and assess their impact on energetic particle transport
- Develop reduced-order models and ML surrogates trained on simulation databases to enable real-time prediction of pressure profiles
- Collaborate with the engineering team to iterate on coil designs and divertor configurations to minimize fast-ion losses
- Develop synthetic diagnostics (e.g. Fast-Ion Loss Detectors, Neutron Cameras) to bridge the gap between our models and future experimental campaigns
Benefits
- Salary range $135,000-$210,000
- Comprehensive health benefits (e.g. medical/dental/vision)
- Employee equity stock options
- 20 days PTO
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
Education Level
Ph.D. or professional degree
