Project Description:

• You will collaborate with the University of Leicester and AWE to develop an experimental plan to produce the first ever like-for-like, end-to-end simulation of solar coronal X-ray emission and resulting planetary surface fluorescence.

  MIXS, designed and built at the University of Leicester, is an X-ray fluorescence spectrometer currently on its way to Mercury onboard the ESA/JAXA BepiColombo mission. When it reaches Mercury it will collect composition data on the planet's surface, but relies on illumination from the solar X-ray spectrum, which is hard to model mathematically and harder to simulate experimentally, due to the extreme conditions in the corona where it is produced. The Orion laser facility at AWE, which creates high energy plasmas by vaporising a target, allows us to (briefly) recreate these conditions.

  You will familiarise yourself with MIXS, its mission, the Orion facility, and the physics of X-ray generation in the corona and X-ray fluorescence in planetary surfaces. You will then work with supervisors at the University of Leicester and collaborators at AWE to plan, simulate and prepare an experiment to be run in a future campaign at the Orion facility. In this experiment, we will vaporise targets with a representative coronal elemental composition, and measure the emitted X-ray spectrum alongside the fluoresced X-ray spectrum of a surface sample. Possible avenues of research include identifying the equipment needed, designing the source-target-detector geometry, the makeup and fabrication of the target, and/or modelling the vaporisation and X-ray generation processes.

• Find out more about SPIN and explore FAQs here.

Applicant Specification:

• We are looking for an enthusastic, driven individual to work with us and our collaborators on this exciting project. You should be studying towards a degree in a STEM subject, ideally showing evidence of a focus towards solar physics, planetary science, and/or plasma physics.

• Evidence of research, outreach and/or computing activity outside of your degree will be advantageous

Minimum requirements:

• You should have completed at least two years of a degree in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) subject, with the expectation of achieving a 2:1 or better

• Good English language skills

• Experience with coding, ideally in Python

Process details:

• 8 weeks minimum fixed term contract to be agreed with successful candidate

• In-person Induction Event to be held on 24 June, and an in-person/hybrid Showcase Event to be held at the [place/date]

• 5 days holiday to be taken during the placement

How we work:

The University of Leicester has been changing the world, and changing people’s lives, for 100 years. When you join us, you’ll become part of a community of Citizens of Change, which includes not only our staff and our current students but also thousands of Leicester graduates around the world.

As a diverse and forward-thinking employer, we embed the principles of equality, diversity and inclusion into everything we do. That includes not just our core missions of teaching and research, but also our support for staff, students and our local community through our values of Inspiring, Impactful and Inclusive.

We’re committed to the wellbeing of all our staff and to the sustainability of our environment, on our campus and beyond.

This job description set outs the skills and experience we believe are needed to be able to do this job but, research also tells us women are much more likely than men to take this list of requirements as absolute and self-select out of the process. If you think you can deliver this role then we want to hear from you, regardless of the boxes you didn’t tick.