Netherlands PhD Position in University of Twente

PhD Position “A Numerical Wave Tank for Complex Wave and Current Interactions

The University of Twente (UT) is an enterprising research-oriented university, established in Enschede, the Netherlands. It currently has more than 7000 students and 2700 staff members. As a young and innovative university, the UT is internationally respected in areas ranging from public policy studies and applied physics to wave modeling. The UT is the only Dutch campus university, and has many sports and cultural facilities. The Ph.D.-research will be embedded within the Institute of Mechanics, Processes and Control, Twente (IMPACT).

The Department of Mathematical Sciences of the Faculty Electrical Engineering, Applied Mathematics and Computer Science offers both under-graduate and M.Sc. and Ph.D. programmes in the field of applied mathematics, including statistics and operations research, systems and control, and computational mechanics. The research has been grouped in four themes: Design and analysis of decision models, Systems and control, Differential equations in mathematical physics: numerical and fundamental aspects, and Financial mathematics. The faculty participates in four (national) research schools as well as in some multidisciplinary university research institutes. The permanent scientific staff is about 60 members.

Ph.D. Position “A Numerical Wave Tank for Complex Wave and Current Interactions” (f/m)

The research proposed will be performed in the Numerical Analysis and Computational Mechanics group (NACM) in the Department of Applied Mathematics. Our group focuses on two main topics:

1) development, analysis and application of numerical algorithms for the solution of partial differential equations for problems originating from physical and technical sciences; and,

2) mathematical modeling of complex (geo)physical problems.

Job description: The oceans, especially in coastal regions, are important for their natural resources. Particular peril is caused by the appearance of waves with a height so extreme that wave impact on offshore and coastal defense structures endangers their safety and environmentally sound operation. These dangers are predicted to increase due to climate change, resulting in increased wave heights, also in the North Sea with its numerous offshore installations, and higher flood risks along the sensitive (Dutch) coastlines. The prediction of these extreme waves is nearly impossible with analytical methods and requires model experiments supported by numerical simulations. The Netherlands has secured a leading position in the modeling of wave phenomena, with renowned institutes such as the Maritime Research Institute Netherlands (MARIN), the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ), WL|Delft Hydraulics, and Alkyon Hydraulic Consultancy and Research.

Our project aims at supporting their effort in experimental modeling and consulting by developing a numerical wave and current tank using advanced numerical techniques, in particular discontinuous Galerkin finite element modeling. The project involves a close collaboration with scientists from MARIN and NIOZ.

The prospective Ph.D. student will disseminate her/his results through articles in international scientific journals and presentations in scientific meetings. It will culminate in a Ph.D. thesis, to be defended within four years of the commencement of the research.

Qualification: You have recently graduated (M.Sc./M.Eng.) in mathematics/ physics/ engineering sciences with interest in (computational) fluid dynamics and numerical analysis. You have experience in mathematical analysis and numerical modeling, fluid dynamics, and are interested in civil engineering applications. Finally, you work accurately and independently, are creative, a team player and have excellent communication skills, particularly in written and spoken English.

Offer: We offer a very interesting job with a contract for 4 years. The salary in the first year is € 2000,- gross per month up to € 2558,- gross per month in the fourth year.

Application: Please send in your tentative application including a full CV, specifying relevant education and work experience, including a list of courses completed and grades obtained, publications, references, and a statement of research interests, preferably by e-mail. Applications should be received before May 30^th, 2008. Please contact:

Dr. Onno Bokhove and Professor Jaap van der Vegt

o.bokhove at math.utwente.nl www.math.utwente.nl/~bokhoveo

Department of Applied Mathematics

Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science

University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands.

Vacancy number 08/073

Scholarship Tags: Netherlands, PhD, Position, Scholarship, University of Twente