Umeå University - with its 33,000 students and over 4,000 employees - is an organisation in constant change and development. Umeå University conducts groundbreaking research within several areas - several in which we are among the best in the world - within others regarded as the leaders in Sweden. We are one of Sweden’s largest providers of education and offer a broad and attractive range of courses and programmes. Our campus constitutes an inspiring environment for everyone that studies and works here. We wish to co-operate with companies and organisations throughout the Umeå region and all over the world.
PhD Student Position
in Computational Science and Engineering at UMIT Research Lab
Recently, Umeå University decided to make a strategic funding within the focus area Applied Information Technology by forming the UMIT Research Laboratory (www.physics.umu.se/english/umit). The UMIT efforts include the establishment of a dynamic, intellectual, and physical research environment enabling world-class interdisciplinary research in scientific, high-performance, distributed, real-time, and visual computing. Deliverables include new models, methods, parallel algorithms and high-quality software targeting emerging HPC platforms and IT infrastructures. UMIT will also focus on challenges and applications of high relevance for the industry, and the use of innovative techniques and collaboration with industrial partners and society are important components. The announced position is affiliated with UMIT and placed at the Department of Physics (www.physics.umu.se). The UMIT environment is shared also with researchers mainly from the Department of Computing Science (www.cs.umu.se) and the Department of Mathematics and Mathematical Statistics (www.math.umu.se).
We are looking for an exceptional PhD student to join our interdisciplinary group focusing on modeling and numerical simulation of complex mechanical systems. This is a full-time position over a period of four years. An opportunity for part-time teaching may be offered in which case the duration of the position can be extended up to five years. The expected start date is September 1, 2010.
The PhD student will contribute to the project “Modeling and Simulation of Large-scale Granular Matter with Complex Flows” aiming at developing new models, algorithms and numerical computing techniques. We are interested in, for example, modeling mixtures of fine grained and coarse grained matter, hybrids of discrete elements end continuum based models, algorithms and numerical methods for time-integration of large multibody systems with novel use of parallel computing on both clusters and desktop many-core and GPGPU systems, direct and iterative solvers tailored for the inherent topology, force structures and dynamics of granular matter.
The project includes also analysis of granular matter flows in particular industry processes for the purpose of understanding, re-design and optimization. One example is the process of making mineral pellets out of iron ore by mixing the ore with seed pellets and chemicals in large rotating balling drums. The process includes several complex flow patterns – each involving 10K-100M of particles. These are intractable to study with current simulation techniques due to long computing times.
To meet the challenges raised by this project we collaborate with experts in academia and industry both nationally and internationally. The scientific fields include physicists, mathematics, computing science and material science. Industry collaboration includes both small high-tech computing software companies and global firms. The project is co-financed and run in close collaboration with LKAB – a mining company producing iron ore pellets from mines in Kiruna and Malmberget. The company has 3800 employees and several facilities and units for research, e.g., the Process Technology unit in Malmberget where an agglomeration laboratory highly relevant for the project is under construction.
For this project, the PhD student is expected to do theoretical and computational work, and develop models and tools for studying the behavior of large-scale granular matter with complex flow. The successful candidate should have excellent programming skills and experience in C/C++, Octave/Matlab and preferably also Perl, XML and/or Python. Moreover, the candidate should have a strong record in physics, mathematics, and/or computing science.
The PhD student will be enrolled in the Industrial graduate school at Umeå University, which include some generic courses preparing the student for a future as research leader in industry as well as in academia.
Prerequisites include either (i) 240 ECTS credits (swe. Högskolepoäng) of higher education studies of which 60 should be on an advanced level (Master level) in physics or similar relevant field, or (ii) 120 Swedish (old) credits (swe. Poäng; corresponding to 180 ECTS credits) of higher education studies if they were taken before July 1, 2007 or equivalent competence.
The application should include a description of past research accomplishments, curriculum vitae, transcripts of degree certificates, and names and contact information of references.
For further information, contact Martin Servin, martin.servin@physics.umu.se
Information about the Industrial graduate school at Umeå University (information in Swedish): www.umu.se/samverkan/foretagsforskarskolan
Union information is available from SACO, +46-(0)90-786 53 65, SEKO, +46-(0)90-786 52 96 and ST, +46-(0)90-786 54 31.
Applications will be discarded or, if the applicant so wishes, returned two years after the position has been filled. Documents sent electronically should be in MS Word or PDF format.
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