M/F doctorat for Innovative Target Ion Source System for the Development of the 39Ca+ Beam for the MORA Experiment

Job Description

Thesis Subject

The Matter's Origin from RadioActivity (MORA [1, 2]) experiment aims to search for signatures of CP violation in the nuclear beta decay that could help explain the matter-antimatter asymmetry observed in the Universe. The most sensitive and complementary isotopes for this search for physics beyond the Standard Model are 23Mg and 39Ca.
MORA is currently taking data at the University of Jyväskylä, where both isotopes are produced with beam intensities of approximately 105 particles per second (pps). At GANIL, where the experiment is expected to reach its highest sensitivity, beam intensities exceeding 107 pps are anticipated. While such intensities have already been achieved for 23Mg, they remain out of reach for 39Ca due to the chemical reactivity of calcium, which makes it a particularly challenging element to handle.
The objective of the PhD thesis is to develop a Target Ion Source System (TISS) optimized for the production of a 39Ca+ beam. The design will be based on the highly innovative TULIP system [3], which has demonstrated excellent performances in producing short-lived exotic isotopes of Rb. Adapting TULIP to operate with fragmentation targets will open promising new avenues for the production of intense exotic beams at GANIL.
The work will be conducted within the Radioactive Beam R&D team at GANIL, in close collaboration with experts in target and ion source development. It will combine experimental studies, modeling, and system design, with encouraged participation in data-taking campaigns at Jyväskylä, where an alternative isotope production technique is employed.

Your Work Environment

The 'Grand Accélérateur National d'Ions Lourds' is a national research facility based on the use of ion beams. Its areas of research include fundamental research in nuclear physics and nuclear astrophysics, materials under irradiation and nanostructuring, molecular collisions and the interstellar medium, radiobiology, and innovative techniques for dosimetry and the treatment of certain cancers.
GANIL (approximately 350 staff) is located on the future EPOPEA site, a science and innovation park within the Caen la Mer urban community, in Caen, Normandy. It is jointly managed, within an Economic Interest Group (GIE), by the French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA/DRF) and the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS/IN2P3). As a research facility, GANIL serves a national, European and international scientific community of around a thousand users.
The selected candidate will be based at GANIL, within the FINDS group of the DPHY division, and will join the international MORA team, coordinated by GANIL and comprising the University of Jyväskylä, the LPC Caen, KU Leuven and IJCLab.
This group forms part of the Physics Division, which also comprises the DELPH (Detection and Lasers for Physics) and GTA (Data Acquisition Techniques) groups.
The staff of this division are responsible for hosting experiments carried out at GANIL by an international scientific community. They also conduct an R&D programme on detection techniques, laser techniques, data acquisition techniques for experimental data, and the fabrication of targets and thin films.
This PhD thesis is funded by the ANR ACCLAIM MORA project and will contribute to advancing the beam production capabilities essential for next-generation precision measurements in fundamental physics; see https://mora.ganil-spiral2.eu/
Employee benefits:
53 days' annual leave (32 days' statutory leave and 21 days' JRTT) – Contribution towards supplementary health insurance – Contribution towards meal costs – Contribution towards public transport costs or a mobility allowance – Social Action Committee

Constraints and risks

As GANIL is classified as a basic nuclear facility (INB), the post is subject to specific working conditions relating to potential exposure to ionising radiation. The successful candidate must be authorised by GANIL's medical service to work in a monitored and controlled area, in accordance with the applicable regulations and procedures governing nuclear safety and security.

Compensation and benefits

Compensation

2300 € gross monthly

Annual leave and RTT

44 jours

Remote Working practice and compensation

Pratique et indemnisation du TT

Transport

Prise en charge à 75% du coût et forfait mobilité durable jusqu’à 300€

About the offer

About the CNRS

The CNRS is a major player in fundamental research on a global scale. The CNRS is the only French organization active in all scientific fields. Its unique position as a multi-specialist allows it to bring together different disciplines to address the most important challenges of the contemporary world, in connection with the actors of change.

CNRS

The research professions