Applied Physicist - Beam-Beam Effects (BE-ABP-CEI-2024-82-GRAP)

Your responsibilities

You will be part of :

• The Beams department, responsible for the beam generation, acceleration, diagnostics, controls and performance optimization for the LHC and its injector accelerators.
• The Accelerator and Beam Physics Group, which is responsible for studying and understanding the beam dynamics over the complete CERN Accelerator Complex through theoretical, simulation and experimental studies. The group provides input and support for machine operations, devising settings and scenarios to optimize the machine performance. It is also responsible for working out concepts and ideas for future accelerators.

In this position, you will contribute to the Future Circular Collider (FCC) project.

To maximize the amount of high energy collisions between electrons and positions, the Future Circular Collider (FCC-ee) features high intensity beams within small sizes at the interaction points. The two colliding beams exert strong electromagnetic forces on each other leading to a variety of so-called beam-beam effects.

As an Applied Physicist, you will:

• Study mechanisms how these forces will affect the beam quality and potentially limit the performance of the machine;
• Use high performance numerical tools, so-called tracking codes, to quantify the interplay of the beam-beam forces with lattice imperfections in view of determining tuning and correction methods required to maintain the high performance of the collider; 
• Improve the existing software tools, notably by implementing more involved beam-beam models in order to improve the accuracy of the predictions.

Your profile

Skills and/or knowledge

• Experience with non-linear beam dynamics;
• Experience with numerical tracking simulation; 
• Experience with  high performance computing;
• Problem solving skills;
• Good communication skills; 
• Fluent in English, the ability to work in French would be an advantage.

Eligibility criteria:

• You are a national of a CERN Member or Associate Member State.
• You have a professional background in Applied Physics (or a related field) and have either:
  • a Master's degree with 2 to 6 years of post-graduation professional experience;
  • or a PhD with no more than 3 years of post-graduation professional experience.
• You have never had a CERN fellow or graduate contract before.

Job closing date: 16.06.2024 at 23:59h (midnight) CEST.

Job reference: BE-ABP-CEI-2024-82-GRAP

Contract duration: 24 months, with a possible extension up to 36 months maximum.

Target start date: 01-September-2024

This position requires:

• Work during nights, Sundays and official holidays, when required by the needs of the Organization.

What we offer

• A monthly stipend ranging between 6194 and 6808 Swiss Francs per month (net of tax).
• Coverage by CERN's comprehensive health scheme (for yourself, your spouse and children), and membership of the CERN Pension Fund.
• Depending on your individual circumstances: installation grant; family, child and infant allowances; payment of travel expenses at the beginning and end of contract.
• 30 days of paid leave per year.
• On-the-job and formal training at CERN as well as in-house language courses for English and/or French.

About us

At CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, physicists and engineers are probing the fundamental structure of the universe. Using the world's largest and most complex scientific instruments, they study the basic constituents of matter - fundamental particles that are made to collide together at close to the speed of light. The process gives physicists clues about how particles interact, and provides insights into the fundamental laws of nature. Find out more on http://home.cern.

We are on a Quest. A Journey into discovery like no other. Bring your expertise to our unique work and develop your knowledge and skills at pace. Join world-class subject matter experts on unique projects, in a Quest for greater knowledge and deeper understanding.

Begin your CERN Quest. Take Part!

Diversity has been an integral part of CERN's mission since its foundation and is an established value of the Organization. Employing a diverse workforce is central to our success.