Materials science and technology are our passion. With our cutting-edge research, Empa's around 1,100 employees make essential contributions to the well-being of society for a future worth living. Empa is a research institution of the ETH Domain.

The Laboratory of Multiscale Studies in Building Physics focuses on developing methodologies and technologies that support energy transition and a sustainable society by improving the performance of porous media and building materials, increasing the use of renewable energy sources, and ameliorating the quality of the built environment both for human comfort and public health. The laboratory has excellent experimental infrastructures (including cutting-edge experimental fluid dynamics facilities, environmental chambers, and various equipment to investigate processes in porous materials) and an extensive experience in investigating coupled multiphysics phenomena and complex multiscale processes, as well as in developing and using cutting-edge scientific computing techniques (including HPC, machine learning, multiscale algorithms).

Your tasks

The doctoral researcher will focus on the development of stochastic methodologies for efficient computation of kinetic systems. Kinetic interactions of particles comprise challenging problems across different fronts of modeling, computation and analysis of fluids. From hypersonic and reentry flights to the high-energy chip lithography and membranes, we rely on kinetic descriptions. However, the modeling and numerical tools necessary to understand the multiscale nature of kinetic phenomena remain mathematically and computationally challenging. In particular, we are interested in developing Fokker-Planck based solution algorithms for efficient computation of gas flows across a wide range of rarefactions. The applications will deal with studying complex gas transport processes through mesoporous membranes, with overarching applications in gas separation and CO2 adsorption.

Your profile

We are looking for a PhD student with strong analytical background, and MSc degree in Engineering, Applied Mathematics, Physics, or a related field. Professional command of English (both written and spoken) is mandatory. The successful candidate shows enthusiasm for conducting original research and strives for scientific excellence. Prior exposure to stochastic models and kinetic theory would be highly desirable.

Our offer

We offer internationally competitive conditions, optimal computational and experimental facilities, and the opportunity to work in a multidisciplinary environment where communication and interaction to cre-ate synergies and develop novel ideas are highly valued. Work location is at the Laboratory of Multiscale Studies in Building Physics in Dübendorf, Switzerland. The PhD students will be enrolled in the EPFL doctoral school, under supervision of Prof. Jan S Hesthaven at the Chair of Computational Mathematics and Simulation Science (website: https://www.epfl.ch/labs/mcss/).

«a» stands for «all» in our job advertisements. We live a culture of inclusion and respect. We welcome all people who are interested in innovative, sustainable and meaningful activities. That's what counts - not age, gender, origin, religion, sexual orientation, etc.

We look forward to receiving your online application until 15th September 2023 including a letter of motivation, CV, diplomas with transcripts of all obtained degrees, a copy (either a link or upload) of the master thesis and additional publications (journal or conference papers) if available, and the contact details of two referees.