Postdoctoral Appointee - Pressure-dependent gas-phase reaction kinetics and collisional energy transfer, Onsite

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Sandia National Laboratories is the nation’s premier science and engineering lab for national security and technology innovation, with teams of specialists focused on cutting-edge work in a broad array of areas. Some of the main reasons we love our jobs:

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What Your Job Will Be Like:

We seek a motivated postdoc to work with Dr. Leonid Sheps at Sandia National Lab on direct experimental probing of pressure-dependent gas-phase chemistry. The aim of this project is understanding the detailed interactions of chemical transformations and collisional energy transfer, with a special focus on identifying, predicting, and controlling the effects of activated intermediates and non-thermal reactions. The effort will span a range of chemical complexity, from collisional relaxation of model polyatomics, to elementary kinetics of small hydrocarbons, to complex chemical reaction networks.

The successful candidate will gain experience in laboratory kinetics and dynamics studies using cutting-edge experimental methods. In addition, you will collaborate closely with a multi-investigator team at Argonne National Labs. Some of the activities you will engage in include:

Investigating chemical reactions initiated by photolysis, laser excitation, and thermal decomposition.

Using multiplexed time-resolved mass spectrometry, photoelectron-photoion coincidence, and laser-induced fluorescence to detect and quantify key reaction intermediates and products.

Modeling of complex chemical reactions using a new in-house master equation optimization code.

Working with colleagues who focus on computational kinetics to connect experimental results with theoretical predictions.

Presenting results at national/international meetings and publishing research in peer-reviewed journals.

Due to the nature of the work, the selected applicant must be able to work onsite.

Qualifications We Require:

PhD degree in chemistry, physics, or a related field

Experience in one or more of the following: experimental chemical kinetics, mass spectrometry, or laser spectroscopy

Strong record of collaborative research and publications in peer-reviewed journals.

Qualifications We Desire:

Ability to address complex problems creatively, and to work effectively both independently and in collaboration with others

Experience with design and construction of experimental apparatus

Familiarity with molecular beams, flow reactors, ion imaging, programming for data acquisition and analysis

Knowledge of computational kinetics or chemical modeling

About Our Team:

The Gas Phase Chemical Physics Department is part of Sandia's Combustion Research Facility (CRF) in Livermore, California, where over 100 scientists, engineers, and technologists conduct basic and applied…