Postdoctoral Research Associate ; Planetary Materials; UPDATED

Postdoctoral Research Associate I (Planetary Materials) (UPDATED)

Posting Number: req
24389

Department: Lunar and Planetary Laboratory

Location: Tucson Campus, Tucson, AZ USA

Position Overview: The Lunar & Planetary Laboratory and the Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Arizona has an opening for a Postdoctoral Research Associate I in the field of thermodynamic modeling of planetary materials. The group’s areas of interest span a broad range of topics including lunar processes, the origins of presolar circumstellar dust, the high‑temperature origins of the first solar‑system solids, and low‑temperature aqueous chemistry that occurred within asteroids in the early solar system.

We seek a postdoctoral candidate to work within our planetary materials research group performing computational thermodynamics in support of characterization and interpretation of the origin of planetary materials. This is a year‑to‑year appointment, contingent upon funding and performance.

Outstanding UA benefits include health, dental, vision, and life insurance; paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays; UA/ASU/NAU tuition reduction for the employee and qualified family members; access to UA recreation and cultural activities; and more!

• Conduct original research related to the origins of refractory calcium‑aluminum‑rich inclusions (CAIs), the first solids to have formed in the solar system.
  
  Duties include:
  • Construction and cataloging of thermochemical databases;
  • Using density functional theory to compute the thermochemical properties of mineral phases relevant to CAIs and their solid solutions for which appropriate thermochemical data may be lacking;
  • Constructing thermodynamic models and calculating the phase diagrams of those systems.
  The candidate will be part of a team focused on characterizing CAIs down to the atomic level using electron microscopy and comparing the characterization data with model output to infer the thermodynamic conditions and chemical pathways through which CAI phases formed. Participation in group meetings, presentation of results at conferences, and preparation of original scientific research manuscripts are expected activities.
• Participate in team meetings, presentation of results at conferences, and preparation of original scientific research manuscripts.

• PhD in the field of Materials Science and Engineering, Physics, Chemistry, Earth and Planetary Science, or a related field at the time of the appointment.

• Experience with the CALculation of PHase Diagram (CALPHAD) framework to compute and model the thermochemical properties of materials.
• Experience with density functional theory to model the free‑energy functions of materials.
• Experience with Thermocalc software to calculate phase diagrams.

• Health, dental, vision, and life insurance
• Paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays
• UA/ASU/NAU tuition reduction for employee and qualified family members
• Access to UA recreation and cultural activities

Documents Needed: Curriculum Vitae, Cover Letter, and Three Additional Documents.

Special Instructions: Documents required for consideration include a Curriculum Vitae with a list of publications and three letters of recommendation.

Contact: Tom Zega – tzega