Postdoctoral Associate

Massachusetts Institute of Technology • Cambridge, MA

50d • Onsite

About The Position

POSTDOCTORAL ASSOCIATE, Plasma Science and Fusion Center (PSFC), to carry out fundamental and applied research in support of integrated core and edge MHD instability control for metallic wall tokamaks; work in the Disruptions group and focus on the application and controllability quantification of real-time solutions for avoiding and preventing off-normal events, e.g. tearing and neoclassical tearing modes in metal-wall scenarios; support the creation and validation of machine learning (ML) and hybrid physics + ML models to monitor and control the proximity to stability boundaries, their compliance with open and FAIR principles, besides leading/supporting experiments at DIII-D and international tokamaks; make original research contributions to the PSFC program; produce work for publication; present work at scientific conferences; and mentor graduate and undergraduate students.

Requirements

• Ph.D. in Physics, Nuclear Engineering, Plasma Science, Computer Science, or a related field
• Experience with plasma physics, MHD stability, or fusion energy research
• Familiarity with large-scale data management, curation, FAIR data principles, and machine learning
• Experience conducting original scientific research as well as publishing in scientific journals
• Demonstrated skills in scientific programming (Python preferred, JAX desirable), and control system integration (C/C++ familiarity)
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively in a multi-institutional environment, including staff and students from MIT, other universities, national laboratories, and private industry
• Commitment to mentoring and outreach in support of a diverse research community

Responsibilities

• Carry out fundamental and applied research in support of integrated core and edge MHD instability control for metallic wall tokamaks
• Work in the Disruptions group and focus on the application and controllability quantification of real-time solutions for avoiding and preventing off-normal events, e.g. tearing and neoclassical tearing modes in metal-wall scenarios
• Support the creation and validation of machine learning (ML) and hybrid physics + ML models to monitor and control the proximity to stability boundaries, their compliance with open and FAIR principles, besides leading/supporting experiments at DIII-D and international tokamaks
• Make original research contributions to the PSFC program
• Produce work for publication
• Present work at scientific conferences
• Mentor graduate and undergraduate students

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Industry: Educational Services
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees