Free Education Scholarship PhD Student ‘Ultra-fast Processes in Scintillators’ at Netherland

The Radiation Detection and Matter section has acquired a leading international position in the field of scintillator research by developing new exotic scintillators and models describing their properties. Scintillators are luminescent materials that convert the energy of gamma rays into a flash of light. They are applied as detector elements in medical imaging systems used to diagnose patients, as gamma ray detectors for space exploration, in airport security systems and a wide range of other instrumentation. Recently we invented the record-breaking scintillator LaBr3:Ce3+, which is generating worldwide initiatives on instrument development. Presently we are developing large LaBr3:Ce scintillators for the ESA (European Space Agency) BepiColombo interplanetary space mission to Mercury in 2013.
Job description
Our scintillator will unravel the composition of the planetary surface to eventually provide information on how our solar system was created. Recently the first prototype medical imaging scanner was constructed, based on as many as 100,000 individual LaBr3:Ce crystals, that is expected to image smaller details than existing scanners. In this project we take up the challenge of solving one of the remaining mysteries in scintillator research. What happens immediately (< 1ns) after the absorption of a gamma photon? So far, experimental studies have been limited to a 1 ns time resolution. Many important processes determining, for example, the light yield of a scintillator, occur at a time scale of ps after gamma interaction. The PhD candidate will have the opportunity to enter this field of ultra-fast processes in scintillators. She or he will study the scintillation light response at time scales smaller than 1 ns by developing dedicated new experimental techniques. She or he will also study the unexplained non-proportional relation between gamma energy and light yield of a scintillator. This unexplained behaviour of scintillators will be studied with existing experimental facilities in Delft but also abroad. The origin of scintillation light loss, its dependence on, for example, ionization density or the type of scintillator material will be the subject of the PhD study.

Requirements
The section seeks PhD students who have graduated in physics. Apart from using techniques available in the laboratory, the PhD candidate is expected to perform experiments at facilities elsewhere and abroad. The results should be presented in scientific journals and at international conferences. Delft University of Technology is a bilingual organization; a good command of English (written and spoken) is essential; a good command of Dutch as well is preferred.

Conditions of employment
The successful candidate will be employed full-time by the TU Delft for a fixed period of 4 years within which he or she is expected to write a dissertation leading to a doctoral degree (PhD thesis). The monthly salary for a PhD will be to a maximum of € 2558 gross in the fourth year. Benefits and other employment conditions are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities. Delft University of Technology strives to increase the number of women in higher academic positions; women are therefore especially encouraged to apply.

Information and application
For more information about this position, please contact Dr. E. van der Kolk, phone: +31 (0)15-2783464, e-mail: e.vanderkolk@tudelft.nl. For information about the application procedure, you are welcome to contact Mw. J. M. A. Buurman, phone: +31 (0)15-2785244, e-mail: j.m.a.buurman@tudelft.nl. To apply, please e-mail a detailed CV along with a letter of application by April 30, 2008 to Dr. van der Kolk. When applying for this position, make sure to mention vacancy number TNWRRR08-020. Internal candidates have preference in selection. TU Delft is an equal opportunity employer.