PhD Position in Mechanical Engineering at Aalto University

Department of Mechanical Engineering of Aalto University offers a PhD Position in Mechanical Engineering for the academic session 2021-2022.

The group is looking for a motivated and bright doctoral candidate to work on numerical modelling of ridging sea ice. 

Summary

Project Description

Aalto University is a community of bold thinkers where science and art meet technology and business. We are committed to identifying and solving grand societal challenges and building an innovative future. Aalto University has six schools with nearly 11 000 students and more than 400 professors. Our campus is located in Espoo, Finland. 

Doctoral Candidate Position in the Field of Numerical Ice Mechanics

Novel numerical models for sea ice behaviour and failure form a central part of the Ice Mechanics Group’s research at the Department of Mechanical Engineering of Aalto University. Sea ice has an essential effect on the climate. New insight on sea ice behaviour is needed to predict the impact of ice on climate change and, vice versa, the impact of climate change on sea ice. Discrete element modelling, performed by our group, is an essential technique for gaining such insight.

Research topic

Ice ridges are standard features in all ice-covered seas. They are formed through a ridging process, in which ice sheets, moved by winds and currents, collide and interact with each other. During this interaction, the ice sheets fail into ice rubble, a rubble pile of ice blocks, which then grows in size. Ridging-related ice thickness distributions, ridging loads, and related ice cover stresses are central to any large-scale sea ice model. A detailed understanding of the mechanics of the ridging process is still lacking.

What are the ridging forces in different types of ridging processes, and how to account for them accurately in large-scale sea ice models? Answering these questions would lead to improved sea ice behaviour models and more accurate models for predicting future climate. The doctoral student recruited will use numerical simulations to study ridging on one ice ridge scale and, further, form connections to large-scale sea ice models. The student will use the existing Aalto University 3D finite-discrete element (FEM-DEM) simulation tools and develop them further. There may be a possibility to perform laboratory-scale experiments as well.

Application Deadline

The deadline for applications is March 31, 2021 

Eligibility Criteria

The research performed is mostly computational. Thus, the applicant should understand concrete and computational mechanics and at least average programming skills. A suitable background may come from applied and computational mechanics, mechanical engineering, engineering physics, or geophysics. Experience in discrete element method, granular mechanics, differential methods, and parallel computing are considered beneficial. The applicant must fulfil the requirements for entitlement to do postgraduate studies at Aalto University ( https://into.aalto.fi/display/endoctoraleng/How+to+apply  )

Employment

The position is at the Department of Mechanical Engineering and may include some work as a teaching assistant. Aalto University follows the salary system of Finnish universities. The starting salary of a doctoral student is approximately 2500 €/month (gross), and it increases as you progress in your research and studies.

Following the standard practice in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, the contract will be made initially for two years, then extended to another two years after a successful mid-term progress review. The total duration of doctoral studies is four years. The annual workload of research and teaching staff at Aalto University is currently 1612 hours. The contract includes Aalto University occupational healthcare.

Application Process

The application material includes 

1. Motivation letter (maximum one page) 
2. CV and other proof of scientific activity (publications, conference papers etc.) 
3. A certified copy of master’s degree certificate and official transcript of records, and their translations, if the originals are not in Finnish, Swedish or English 
4. An English abstract or summary of the MSc thesis 
5. Any other supporting documents, like a recommendation letter
6. Proof of proficiency in Finnish, Swedish or English if the applicant is not a native speaker of them (see https://into.aalto.fi/display/endoctoraleng/Application+instructions#Applicationinstructions-LanguagerequirementsLanguagerequirements  )

All material should be submitted in English

Applications with attachments (in pdf-format) are to be submitted through the “apply now” link below no later than March 31, 2021. The position will be fulfilled as soon as a suitable candidate is found. Aalto University reserves the right for justified reasons to leave the position open, to extend the application period and to consider candidates who have not submitted applications during the application period.

Apply Now