Applications are invited for a Postdoctoral Research Associate to work on an EPSRC-funded project to create and diagnose solid matter at TPa pressures. The position will be based in the Centre for Science at Extreme Conditions in the School of Physics and Astronomy, and will be supervised by Professor Malcolm McMahon.

The project will use the National Ignition Facility and JANUS lasers at LLNL (California), the Omega Laser at LLE (New York), and the Orion laser at AWE, to generate solid-state matter at hitherto unexplored pressures comparable to those at the centre of giant planets such as Jupiter High pressure states will be generated by ramped compression, leading to solid matter at TPa pressures for several nanoseconds, and will be interrogated using nanosecond X-ray diffraction. Complementary theoretical work will include target design, ab initio structure prediction.

This is a joint project with Professor Justin Wark at the University of Oxford. The project is suitable for a researcher interested in applying new techniques using the world's most powerful laser systems, with x-ray diffraction diagnosis and materials science, to understand matter at conditions that have previously never been interrogated on earth.

Fixed Term: up to 4 years

Salary Scale: £30,122 - £35,938

Please Quote Ref: 3016084

Closing Date: 5 September 2011

For further particulars https://www.jobs.ed.ac.uk/jobs/index.cfm?action=jobdet&jobid=3016084 and an application pack visit our website ( www.jobs.ed.ac.uk ) or telephone the recruitment line on 0131 650 2511.