ABOUT THE ROLE
Working as part of a multi-disciplinary team, you will support the Principal Investigator in the delivery of a proof-of-concept study of turbulent mixing in an unusual class of stratified fluid flows. The flows under investigation will be generated on a sloped boundary subject to a stabilising buoyancy flux. If the boundary were horizontal, the such a set-up would create a motionless, statically stable stratification, but the slope gives rise to a flow and the potential for dynamic instability and hence mixing. Understanding the generation of instability and mixing in such flows has important applications in the study of geophysical flows, such as katabatic winds and oceanic flows beneath floating ice shelves.
Key activities will include:
(i) a thorough survey of the literature on laboratory studies of mixing in stratified shear flows to ascertain the extent of previous work on similar flows;
(ii) numerical simulations to investigate possible laboratory tank configurations, and the scales required to generate a transition to turbulence.
(iii) based on the above, the creation of a proof-of-concept laboratory set-up, running of preliminary experiments and processing and analysis of the resulting observational data.
(iv) write-up of results in a internal report, that could form the basis of a peer-reviewed publication, if the experiments are successful.
This is a fixed term position for 12 months.
ABOUT THE TEAM
This Research Project is being delivered within the Departments of Geography and Environmental Sciences (https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/about-us/academic-departments/geography-and-environmental-sciences/research/) and Mechanical and Construction Engineering (https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/about-us/academic-departments/mechanical-and-construction-engineering/research/). The work is associated with both the Future of Ice on Earth Peak of Excellence (https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/research/1/our-peaks-of-excellence/the-future-of-ice-on-earth) and the Extreme Environments Interdisciplinary Research Theme (https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/research/idrts/extreme-environments).
ABOUT YOU
Applicants should hold a PhD in a numerate physical science discipline, or have equivalent research experience, and have demonstrable specialist expert knowledge in either experimental or computational fluid dynamics.
If you would like an informal discussion about the role, please contact Prof. Adrian Jenkins (adrian2.jenkins@northumbria.ac.uk).
To apply for this vacancy please click 'Apply Now'. Your application should include a covering letter and a CV.
ABOUT US
At Northumbria, we embrace tomorrow. We pursue new thinking, forge new partnerships, create, and exchange new knowledge, and find new solutions. Our inspirational academics, partners and students work together to tackle tomorrow’s challenges head on. We are ready for the future whatever it may hold.
Awarded the title of
University of the Year in the 2022 Times Higher Education Awards, Northumbria University is a research-intensive modern university with a global reputation for academic excellence.
Northumbria recorded the biggest rise of any UK university for research power in the Research Excellence Framework for the second time in 2021 and is now ranked top 25 for this measure.
One of the largest universities in the UK with over 37,000 students from 137 countries, filled with world-leading research, award-winning partnerships, and students at the heart of an outstanding experience, Northumbria is a new kind of excellent university. Discover more
about us.
Northumbria University is a great place to work. We empower our exceptional people to achieve shared ambitions and promote a positive work life balance. To say thank you, we offer a wide range of benefits including excellent pension schemes, flexible working, a generous holiday entitlement, continued commitment to your learning and development and
more.
We are an on-campus organisation where colleagues work regular patterns of hours and on campus, with some flexibility on the timing of their hours and the location of their work in discussion with their manager.
Northumbria University is committed to creating an inclusive culture where we take pride in, and value, the diversity of our staff. We encourage and welcome applications from all members of the community. The University holds a bronze Athena Swan award in recognition of our commitment to advancing gender equality, we are a Disability Confident Employer, a member of the Race Equality Charter and are participating in the Stonewall Diversity Champion Programme. We also hold the HR Excellence in Research award for implementing the concordat supporting the career Development of Researchers and are members of the
Euraxess initiative to deliver information and support to professional researchers.
The University has implemented a range of flexible working arrangements, and we are happy to explore candidate requirements as part of the recruitment process.
