PhD student positions

PhD thesis: Molecular breakup studies of cold ionic reactions and isomeric structures for astrophysically important ions

Atomic and molecular quantum dynamics group

A PhD position is available for the study of molecular breakup using event-by-event momentum spectroscopy of multiple fragments from polyatomic molecules with particle imaging detectors. Fragment momentum distributions from multi-coincidence imaging are applied to determine the product channels and product excitation properties for cold electron collisions. Stored and cooled molecular ion beams are used to control internal molecular excitations. Recent measurements of the group gave access to the conditions under which water and similar species are split off from protonated molecules in the interstellar medium and other astrophysical environments by the recombination with cold electrons at collision temperatures down to 10 K. In the PhD project, these studies will be extended to species featuring several isomeric structures with the same molecular mass. The goal is to implement the technique of foil-induced Coulomb explosion imaging for direct, time-dependent observation of the isomeric structures in the stored molecular ion beam. An existing momentum imaging setup has to be adapted for this purpose and the coincidence imaging analysis has to be extended to the study of heavier molecules. The integration of the isomeric imaging results into the cold electron collision studies will be established in collaboration with the international research team.

The project will be performed in the Cold and Stored Ions Division of the Max-Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics (MPIK) in Heidelberg, Germany. The PhD project will be embedded into the International Max Planck Research School (IMPRS) for Quantum Dynamics in Physics, Chemistry and Biology, incorporating the MPIK, the University, the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research in Heidelberg, and the Heavy Ion Research Center (GSI) in Darmstadt. The research team is lead by apl. Prof. Andreas Wolf and presently includes two post-doctoral researchers as well as three PhD students and two Diploma students active in related projects. The ion storage ring is operated in the Stored and Cooled Ion Instrumentation group of the Division.

This announcement addresses highly qualified candidates with a background in experimental physics with interest and, preferably, experience in the setting up and operation of particle imaging detectors, related electronics and data analysis, as well as molecular quantum dynamics. The candidates must fulfill the admission requirements for the Doctoral Program of the Department of Physics at the University of Heidelberg. The position will cover two years with possible extension.