Computational Physicist - Fluid Dynamics
About The Position
Xcimer Energy is seeking a Computational Physicist specializing in Fluid Dynamics to contribute to the theoretical and computational development of multi-material radiation hydrodynamics models supporting inertial confinement fusion (ICF). This role emphasizes numerical methods for computational fluid dynamics (CFD), focusing on high-fidelity modeling of complex multi-physics systems relevant to fusion energy. The physicist will collaborate with senior scientists and software engineers to develop, analyze, verify, and validate numerical methods and simulation capabilities within Xcimer's radiation hydrodynamics codebase. This is a hands-on technical position requiring expertise in mathematical modeling, numerical analysis, and high-performance scientific computing. The ideal candidate possesses deep knowledge of numerical methods for fluid dynamics, practical experience with invariant-domain preserving (IDP) methods, strong proficiency with finite element frameworks (especially deal.II), and the ability to contribute to code development, scientific publications, and collaborative research.
Requirements
- Ph.D. in Mathematics (preferred), Applied Mathematics, Computational Physics, or a closely related field, with a focus on numerical methods for fluid dynamics.
- Strong background in numerical analysis for PDEs, particularly for fluid dynamics.
- Hands-on experience with invariant-domain preserving (IDP) methods or comparable certifiably robust discretization frameworks for hyperbolic/compressible flow.
- Experience with finite element methods and hands-on development using deal.II (strongly preferred) or similar frameworks.
- Experience developing scientific software in C++.
- Experience working in high-performance computing environments (MPI-based parallelism and large-scale simulations).
- Familiarity with multi-material modeling techniques in CFD.
- Experience with verification and validation of numerical methods.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, with demonstrated ability to contribute to scientific publications.
- Must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum.
Nice To Haves
- Background in radiation hydrodynamics, high-energy-density physics, or related multi-physics domains.
- Experience with mathematical modeling for multi-material compressible flows.
- Experience coupling hydrodynamics with radiation transport.
- Experience contributing to large, research-grade scientific codebases.
- Demonstrated ability to balance theoretical rigor with practical computational implementation.
Responsibilities
- Implement and improve multi-material modeling approaches (e.g., interface tracking/capturing, mixture models, or related techniques).
- Support coupling of hydrodynamics with radiation transport and other relevant physics modules for various equation of state and opacity models.
- Assist in developing robust algorithms for extreme thermodynamic and flow regimes relevant to ICF.
- Develop and analyze certifiably robust, invariant-domain preserving (IDP) numerical methods for computational fluid dynamics with emphasis on multi-material flows.
- Contribute to mathematical modeling for multi-material systems relevant to inertial confinement fusion.
- Support development of radiation hydrodynamics formulations, discretizations, and stabilization strategies.
- Investigate accuracy, stability, and convergence properties of numerical schemes.
- Contribute to solving complex inverse and forward problems in high-energy-density physics.
- Collaborate with Xcimer's verification and validation function to validate multi-material numerics, contributing domain expertise on expected physical behavior.
- Contribute multi-material test problems and physical judgment to the shared benchmark suite.
- Help ensure multi-material results are reproducible and scientifically credible, in partnership with the team that owns V&V methodology.
- Collaborate closely with physicists, applied mathematicians, and software engineers.
- Contribute to internal technical documentation and external scientific publications.
- Present findings in technical meetings and contribute to peer-reviewed journal articles and conference papers.
Benefits
- Medical coverage
- Dental coverage
- Vision coverage
- Basic life insurance
- Supplemental life insurance
- Short-term disability
- Long-term disability
- Paid parental leave
- 401(k) with a company match of up to 6%
- Equity
- Flexible Paid Time Off (PTO)
- Paid sick time
- 13 company-paid holidays
- Annual paid company shutdown
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
Education Level
Ph.D. or professional degree
