Doctoral Position in mechanics of frictional particle suspensions

100%, Zurich, fixed-term

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At the Professorship of Solid Mechanics (SMEC) in the Institute for Building Materials at ETH Zurich, we aim to understand how materials deform, degrade, break, and ultimately fail. Our research is driven by curiosity about the physical mechanisms that underlie failure and by the ambition to translate this understanding into more reliable and resilient materials and structures. By combining numerical modeling, laboratory experiments, and theoretical analyses, we seek to link microscopic processes with the macroscopic behavior of both engineering and natural systems and develop predictive tools for mechanical failure.

Our team is highly interdisciplinary and international, bringing together researchers with backgrounds in materials science, mechanics, and applied physics. We work across a broad range of topics, including the mechanics of particle systems (colloidal and granular), architected and topologically interlocked materials, the mechanics of fragility in collagen, the mechanics of earthquakes, fracture of soft materials, and modeling failure in multiphysical processes such as corrosion-driven degradation of concrete.

What unites these efforts is a shared curiosity about why complex materials fail and a commitment to developing new concepts, experiments, and models that advance our understanding of failure mechanics.

We are seeking a motivated, innovative doctoral student with a strong interest in mechanics and applied physics to investigate how microscopic frictional interactions govern the macroscopic behavior of dense particle suspensions. The central challenge is to understand how sliding and rolling friction, individually and in combination, shape the rheological response across scales. The project combines physics-based modeling, simulation, theoretical reasoning, and quantitative comparison with experiments in collaboration with partners from the ETH Department of Materials.

• You will conduct a computational and theoretical investigation of how particle-scale frictional interactions govern the macroscopic flow response of concentrated suspensions.
• The work will connect particle-scale mechanics, including particle geometry and frictional interactions, with the collective and macroscopic response of the suspension using physics-based models.
• You will implement and use particle-based simulation methods, including coarse-grained molecular dynamics, and perform rigorous verification and validation using datasets provided by our collaborators.
• You will analyze simulation results to identify the physical mechanisms controlling the suspension response and work in close collaboration with experimental researchers within the project, providing modeling insights and helping to interpret experimental observations.
• The position provides a stimulating environment for scientific growth and collaboration.

• You hold an MSc degree in mechanics, physics, (civil, mechanical, aerospace, or bio-) engineering, material science, or a related discipline.
• You have a background in mechanics, applied physics, computational mechanics, scientific computing, or a related field. A foundation in areas such as solid mechanics, fluid mechanics, dynamics, or numerical modeling is particularly relevant.
• You have experience implementing scientific code and assessing computational results through validation, verification, and quantitative comparison with reference data.
• You have prior programming experience in Python and have used version control.
• You are curious, self-motivated, and interested in using modeling and quantitative reasoning to answer mechanics and physics questions. You enjoy connecting computational work with experiments and collaborating closely with experimentalists. Experience with colloidal suspensions, rheology, or coarse-grained molecular dynamics is an advantage but is not required; the project-specific methods and concepts can be learned during the doctoral studies.
• You are fluent in English (oral and written).
• You enjoy working in a team, possess the necessary social skills and communication abilities, and contribute proactively to a positive…