Accelerator Physicist

Company Description

At CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, physicists and engineers are probing the fundamental structure of the universe. Using the world's largest and most complex scientific instruments, they study the basic constituents of matter - fundamental particles that are made to collide together at close to the speed of light. The process gives physicists clues about how particles interact, and provides insights into the fundamental laws of nature. Find out more on http://home.cern.

Job Description

Introduction

Are you an Accelerator Physicist or Engineer experienced in collimation techniques, and interested in working in an exciting international environment at the forefront of modern science? Would you like to work on the study of beam collimation for CERN present and future accelerators and to participate to the commissioning of the collimation system of the Large Hadron Collider? Then Take Part and join one of the teams that help to deliver unique particle beams used by physicists from all over the world to answer questions at the heart of particle physics!

You will join:

The Accelerators and Beam Physics (ABP) group, part of the Beams department (BE), in charge of beam performance over the complete CERN accelerator chain, from the source to the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and carries out Research & Development (R&D) activities on the upgrade of the LHC, its injectors, the Compact Linear Collider (CLIC), and Future Circular Colliders study (FCC). Click here for an animation of the CERN accelerator network.

The Hadron Synchrotron's Single Particle effects (HSS) Section is in charge of theoretical, numerical, and experimental studies of optics, beam collimation, and linear and non-linear single-particle effects, affecting the performance of present and future hadron synchrotrons.

The design of new accelerators at the high-intensity and high-energy frontier and the performance optimization of existing ones requires the development of accurate and predictive models of collimation performance. You will play a key role in the development and simulation tools associated to these studies.

Functions

As Accelerator Physicist in the BE-ABP-HSS Section, you will participate in the activities related with collimation studies for the CERN Accelerators, their upgrade, and future machines. This includes activities on code developments, numerical simulations, collimator settings generation, and measurements in the existing CERN machines.

You will:
-Develop and maintain software tools for massive simulation campaigns for performance analysis of collimation systems, with particular focus on the SixTrack code and related software (batch system, BOINC, coupling to other codes).
-Study and optimize operational conditions for the collimation system of the LHC, its HL-LHC upgrade, and future machines, through theoretical studies and beam-based work in the control room.

After a period of familiarisation you will:
-Contribute to the studies to improve collimation performance with emphasis on LHC and its upgrade.
-Contribute to the definition of operational conditions in Run 3 and to the optimization of the performance reach, including beam-based optimizations of the system, and definition of beam-loss thresholds for collimators.
-Contribute to the commissioning of the newly upgraded collimation system of HL-LHC that is being installed in LS2.
-Design and conduct experiments in the existing CERN machines to validate the concepts developed.

Qualifications
Master's degree or PhD or equivalent relevant experience in the field of Physics or Engineering or a related field.

Experience:

The requirements for this position are:
-Experience in the field of physics or engineering (or equivalent) with a first relevant experience in a scientific environment preferably in the design and/or operation of particle accelerators.
-Experience of accelerator physics, with demonstrated ability in the field of particle collimation.
-Experience of experimental techniques and analysis of data from beam measurements.
-Experience with development of single-particle beam dynamics simulation codes.

The following items would be considered an asset:
-Experience with one of the following codes: MAD-X (see here http://madx.web.cern.ch/madx/), SixTrack (see here http://sixtrack-ng.web.cern.ch/sixtrack-ng/)
-Experience of massive numerical simulations with modern simulations codes.
-Experience with beam commissioning and performance optimization of existing facilities.

Technical competencies:
-Knowledge and application of single-particle dynamics (longitudinal/transverse)
-Knowledge and application of beam collimation techniques
-Analysis and optimization of accelerator performance
-Simulation, design and development of (part of) particle accelerators
-Knowledge and application of non-linear beam dynamics

Behavioural competencies:
-Achieving results: Having a structured and organised approach towards work; being able to set priorities and plan tasks with results in mind.
-Solving problems: Assimilating large quantities of information, identifying key issues and formulating conclusions clearly and concisely.
-Working in teams: Cooperating constructively with others in the pursuit of team goals; balancing personal goals with team goals.
-Communicating effectively: Expressing opinions, ideas and suggestions with conviction and in a logical/structured manner; keeping to the point.
-Demonstrating accountability: Taking responsibility for own actions and decisions.

Language skills:

Spoken and written English: Ability to draw-up technical specifications and/or scientific reports and to make oral presentations in English. Ability to understand and speak French in professional contexts would be advantageous.

Additional Information

Eligibility and closing date:

Diversity has been an integral part of CERN's mission since its foundation and is an established value of the Organization. Employing a diverse workforce is central to our success. We welcome applications from all Member States and Associate Member States.

This vacancy will be filled as soon as possible, and applications should normally reach us no later than 15.09.2020

Employment Conditions

These functions require:
-Work during nights, Sundays and official holidays, when required by the needs of the Organization.