A 24 month postdoc position is available at the School of Materials, University of Manchester, in the group of Dr. Chris Race.

Development of tight binding models for solute clusters in reactor pressure vessel steels

The core of a pressurised water reactor (PWR) is contained in a reactor pressure vessel (RPV). The RPV is a safety-critical component and its deterioration under the effects of irradiation and temperature can be life-limiting for the reactor. The vessel is subjected to fluxes of neutron and gamma irradiation that damage the material at the atomic scale, giving rise to point defects that aggregate over time to form dislocation loops and solute nanoclusters. The formation of nanoclusters is a key cause of embrittlement of the pressure vessel steel, which progressively restricts the temperature-pressure window in which the reactor can safely operate.

One of the most significant safety concerns for the next generation of RPV steels is the formation of so-called “late-blooming phases”: Ni-Mn-Si clusters which will give rise to hardening and embrittlement. The formation and growth of these clusters lies outside of the scope of current empirical models for RPV embrittlement and new fundamental understanding is required.
This role, as part of a large EPSRC-funded project, will build new tools to allow the use of atomistic simulations to study the process of embrittlement due to solute clusters. It will involve the development of tight binding models for the Fe-Ni-Mn-Si system and their use to study the stability and growth kinetics of solute clusters.

The larger overall project will involve a range of materials simulation (with first-principles and classical methods) and experimental analysis (including analytical TEM and atom probe tomography) and neutron irradiation of new material will form part of the research programme. The research will be carried out at the University of Manchester, the University of Oxford and Imperial College London with support from Rolls-Royce and the National Nuclear Laboratory.

Candidates must have:
- A first degree and PhD in physics, materials science or a related discipline;
- A solid understanding of the fundamental aspects of electronic structure theory and their application in the simulation of material properties and behaviour;
- Extensive experience of atomistic simulation of materials, including the use of standard software packages for this purpose.
- Experience of high-performance computing environments.
- Experience with programming or scripting for the purposes of materials simulation.

Please contact Chris Race ([email protected]) for further information.

The closing date for applications is 19th January 2017. The position is available immediately, but the start date is flexible up to 1st June 2017. Depending on the level of the appointment, it may be possible to extend the duration of the position by up to 6 months (to a total of 30 months).

Find further details and apply at: https://www.jobs.manchester.ac.uk/displayjob.aspx?jobid=12623