Senior Nuclear Diagnostics and Imaging Physicist; Scientist

What You Will Do

Los Alamos National Laboratory performs world-class research in high-energy-density physics (HEDP), inertial confinement fusion (ICF), and discovery plasma science. The P-4 Thermonuclear Plasma Physics group (P-4) is seeking an exceptional senior scientist at the Scientist 3 or Scientist 4 level to provide scientific leadership in nuclear diagnostics and nuclear imaging for ICF and HED physics. Nuclear diagnostics are central to understanding the most extreme plasma conditions produced in the laboratory.

Measurements of neutrons, gamma rays, charged particles, and related nuclear signatures provide direct insight into implosion performance, fuel assembly, areal density, instability growth, mix, burn dynamics, and other key phenomena in ICF and HED experiments. As the national ICF enterprise advances into a new era of burning and igniting plasmas, the need for innovative, robust, and high-fidelity nuclear diagnostic capabilities is growing rapidly.

The P-4 Group currently emphasizes HEDP and ICF research in four areas.
1) Double shell implosions are a route to achieving volume ignition for the study of thermonuclear burn.
2) Nuclear diagnostics such as gamma and neutron detector systems deployed at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) enable us to study the conditions inside those burning plasmas.
3) Radiation flow and opacity experiments describe how radiation is transported in ICF targets and through astrophysical structures.
4) A fourth area of research is the creation of bright sources of x-rays and particles using high-intensity laser-matter interactions. These topical research areas are advanced by conducting experiments at the NIF, the Omega laser facility, the Z pulsed power facility, and the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS). This position is for a Senior Scientist who will help define and lead the future of LANL's nuclear diagnostics and nuclear imaging capabilities.

The successful candidate will lead a multidisciplinary team of scientists and engineers to refine existing diagnostic systems, develop measurement capabilities, and advance novel techniques and analysis methods for ICF and HED experiments at NIF and other major facilities.

The successful candidate will provide scientific vision for diagnostic development in support of current and future program needs. This includes identifying emerging measurement requirements, connecting diagnostic capabilities to high-priority physics questions, and working closely with experimental teams, target designers, theorists, computational scientists, and program leadership to ensure that diagnostic data enables advances in burning plasma and HED science. The role will include leadership of diagnostic development relevant to instability growth in multi-shell ICF implosions, nuclear imaging of burning plasma systems, neutron and gamma measurements, and other nuclear signatures of implosion performance.

The candidate will help translate experimental and programmatic needs into diagnostic strategies, guide the development and deployment of new systems, and connect measured data to the scientific understanding it enables. The successful candidate will also represent LANL's nuclear diagnostics capabilities and priorities in national ICF and HED planning activities. This includes working with partner laboratories, user facilities, program leadership, and federal sponsors to help shape the future direction of nuclear diagnostic development and to ensure that LANL plays a strong national role in this strategically important area.

In addition, the candidate will serve as a mentor and scientific guide for a growing team of junior scientists, postdoctoral researchers, students, engineers, and technologists. The successful…