Type of recruitment : 2-year contract.
Level : Post-doctoral student.
Start date : 1st April 2024.
Deadline : 31 January 2024.
Geographical location : Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur - Laboratoire Lagrange - boulevard de l'Observatoire - CS 34229 - 06304 NICE CEDEX 4
Background
Superfluidity is a fascinating and exotic state of matter that originates from quantum effects at very low temperatures. A superfluid is a liquid distinguished from a classical fluid by the absence of molecular viscosity. Consequently, an object that moves through it at low velocity does not experience any drag. Examples of superfluids are 3He and 4He, Bose-Einstein condensates (BEC) made of dilute alkaline gases, light in optical non-linear systems, and the
core of neutron stars. The applications of superfluids range from cooling superconducting materials and infrared detectors to pure fundamental research in cold atoms and turbulence. The most manifest quantum effect in superfluid turbulence is the presence of quantum vortices. Such vortices are like atomic tornados, with a circulation that is quantised. In systems such as 3He and 4He and atomic BECs, quantum vortices behave as hydrodynamic vortices, reconnecting and rearranging their topology.
One of the most classical experiments with superfluids is a rotating bucket filled with superfluid helium. In a rotating superfluid, when rotation is smoothly increased, quantum vortices are nucleated one by one to match the global circulation of the system as closely as possible. The image shows how vortices arrange themselves in a very regular lattice. This picture is well understood at very low temperatures. At finite temperatures, superfluid helium is an immiscible mixture of a superfluid and a normal fluid described by the Navier-Stokes equations. The superfluid vortices and the normal fluid interact in a non-trivial manner, creating a very rich system.
Job description
This project aims at providing numerical and theoretical support to the experiment CryoLEM at LEGI Grenoble. This unique experiment is able to produce and visualise in real time a stable vortex lattice in rotating superfluid helium. The successful applicant is expected to perform numerical simulations of the self-consistent model FOUCAULT (and other related models), to develop analytical theories and strongly interact with all partners of the ANR QuantumVIW.
Skills required
Applicants should have good theoretical understanding of fluid dynamics, turbulence and, ideally, some knowledge on superfluid vortex dynamics. Experience in high-performance computing (HPC) will be appreciated. Fluent written and oral English is essential.
Salary
The gross annual salary is proportional to the level of experience and is set by national guidelines starting at €36,024.
Contact
For more information about this postdoctoral position, please contact Giorgio Krstulovic (krstulovic_at_oca.eu). You may be asked to submit the following documentation : cover letter, recommendation letters and your CV by email.