Postdoctoral Research Assistant in Modelling Dynamics in the Protoplanetary Disk

**Fixed term for 3 years**





Reporting to Associate Professor James Bryson, the post holder will be a
member of the Planetary Magnetism research group with the responsibility of
carrying out research for as part of the UKRI Frontier Research Guarantee
grant entitled MMESSH (Utilising Meteorite Magnetism to Elucidate Early Solar
System History). The post holder will provide guidance to less experienced
members of the research group, including postdocs, research assistants,
technicians, and PhD and Masters project students if required.





The post holder will build numerical models that incorporate several recent
breakthroughs in our understanding of the dynamics of gas, dust, and solids in
protoplanetary disks. These include: pressure maxima and barriers in disks;
the temporal evolution of these features and of disk dynamics; natural
variations in dynamic parameters as functions of space and time.





The model will be built in collaboration with researchers at the University of
Chicago and MIT. The post holder will work with researchers at these
institutes to create the models.





The postholder will manage and conduct research and administrative duties
regarding disk modelling as part of the MMESSH grant.





They will write, optimise, and utilise the models required to access the
necessary predictions and work with collaborators at the University of Chicago
and MIT to build the required models.





They will also write and publish any relevant scientific research papers on
modelling disk dynamics and the magnetic field in the protoplanetary disk and
will act as a source of information and advice to other group members on
scientific protocols and modelling approach as necessary.





**About you**





You will hold, or be close to completion of (i.e., submitted thesis at the
time an offer is made), a relevant PhD/DPhil, together with relevant
experience. This experience should include some aspect of protoplanetary disk
modelling and/or modelling planet building and/or modelling planetesimal
formation.





You will possess sufficient specialist knowledge in the discipline to work
within established research programmes.





You will have the ability and desire to incorporate the results of laboratory
measurements into models and work alongside experimentalists, and have the
ability to manage your own academic research and associated activities in a
productive and independent manner.





You must have excellent communication skills including the ability to write
for publication, present research proposals and results, and represent the
research group at meetings.





You will also ideally have experience in numerical models of disk dynamics and
modelling streaming instability/pebble accretion.





You will also ideally have experience of independent explicit management of a
discrete area of a research project and actively collaborating in the
development of research articles for publication.







For further details of the role please see the job description.



The deadline for applications is **midday on 27 October 2023**







You will be required to upload a CV and a Supporting Statement as part of your
application. **Please do not attach any manuscripts, papers, transcripts, mark
sheets or certificates as these will not be considered as part of your
application.**





Applications are particularly welcome from women and black and ethnic minority
candidates, who are under-represented in research posts in the Department.