PhD position in University of Western Australia
PhD position: University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
Project Title: Multiscale modeling of radionuclide transport through bentonite barriers
Contacts:
Dr Peter Pivonka; email: peter.pivonka@uwa.edu.au
Dr David Smith; email: david.smith@uwa.edu.au
Webpage: http://biomed.csse.uwa.edu.au
Project Description
This position will be involved in a project on “Multiscale modeling of transport through deformable porous materials”. The PhD candidate will work closely with the CIs and research associates working on the project (i.e., Pivonka, Smith, and Scheiner). Compacted bentonite is commonly used as one of the „barrier materials‟ to prevent transport of radionuclides from radioactive wastes to surrounding biological environments. Due to high compaction of the bentonite, diffusion is the dominant transport mechanism for radionuclide migration under these conditions, so a detailed understanding of the diffusion process of nuclides is of primary importance for risk assessment of radioactive waste disposal or containment facilities. Bentonites contain large fractions of montmorillonite characterized by high surface-charges on particles. Aim of this project is to better understand transport behaviours of radionuclides through bentonites in order to be able to better design radioactive waste barriers. The PhD candidate will formulate models of ion transport through charged porous materials and compare the numerical results with experimental data provided by collaborators.
Context
This project will be hosted by the Engineering Computational Biology (ECB) Group at the University of Western Australia in Perth. This project is also supported by the Australian Research Council (ARC) discovery project grant scheme and coordinated by Drs Stefan Scheiner, Peter Pivonka and David Smith.
Required Skills
In order to register interest for a PhD, the applicant should have a Master degree or equivalent. The applicant should have a strong background in solid mechanics, fluid mechanics, physics, and computing; he/she should be familiar with FEM, Fortran, Linux (or Unix), Matlab, and multi-physics software like COMSOL or equivalent. English is the working language at the lab and good written and communication skills are essential.
Qualification required: Master in Engineering (Mechanical Engineering),
Mathematics, Physics, or equivalent.
Value & Duration:
Living allowance stipend of 26.000 AUD/year (tax free) for a period of 3
years starting in August or September 2010;
International Students:
Please note that this scholarship is for a living allowance only. Any prospective student must also apply for a SIRF Scholarship to cover the cost of international student tuition fees and health care cover.
How to apply
To apply for, please send a Curriculum Vitae and a motivation letter by email
Further details are available here.
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