Mechanical Engineer - Beam window design for Muon Collider final cooling

At CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, physicists and engineers are probing the fundamental structure of the universe. Using the world’s largest and most complex scientific instruments, they study the basic constituents of matter - fundamental particles that are made to collide together at close to the speed of light. The process gives physicists clues about how particles interact, and provides insights into the fundamental laws of nature. Find out more on http://home.cern.

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32 European institutions are part of MuCol project, recently approved by the Horizon Europe Framework Programme 2022. The objective of the project is to produce a coherent description of a novel accelerator complex to collide muons at 10 TeV.

A new technique called ionization cooling should be used to produce the low emittance beams required for the Muon Collider. In the last steps of the muon cooling, the low energies involved require the development of very thin windows (<100 mm) to minimise their effect on the beam. These windows separate the vacuum of the beam line from the energy absorber, ideally liquid hydrogen. The design of these system (window + absorber) has a critical impact on the luminosity and hence on the performance of the collider.

The tasks to accomplish are:

• Design of a test setup for the mechanical characterization of thin membranes (silicon nitride, carbon, silicon carbide, etc.) by Bulge Testing at different temperatures (from cryogenic to high temperature).
• Simulation of the power deposition in the window and the absorber using FLUKA (Monte Carlo simulation package).
• Thermomechanical analysis of the different window designs including fatigue damage.
• Beam irradiation of prototype windows and post-mortem analysis. Benchmark the results against what was predicted by the simulations.
• Study different window - energy absorber (liquid hydrogen) arrangements that avoid the contact of the window and the liquid.

Eligibility criteria:

• You are a national of a CERN Member or Associate Member State;
• You have a Master’s degree and between 2 and 6 years’ experience or PhD with up to 3 years of relevant experience in thermo-mechanical commutation and analysis or other related field;
• You should have a working knowledge of English or French.

Skills and/or knowledge:

• Experience in the use of analytical methods and commercial finite element software for the analysis of structural, thermal and dynamic problems.
• Experience in the use of CAD software for 3D modelling
• Experience in vacuum system design and CFD simulation is an asset

What we offer:

• An employment contract of in principle 24 months, with a possible extension up to 36 months;
• On-the-job and formal training at CERN as well as in-house language courses for English and/or French;
• A monthly stipend ranging between 6050 and 6650 Swiss Francs per month (net of tax);
• Coverage by CERN’s comprehensive health scheme (for yourself, your spouse and children), and membership of the CERN Pension Fund;
• Depending on your individual circumstances: installation grant; family, child and infant allowances; payment of travel expenses at the beginning and end of contract;
• 30 days of paid leave per year.

How to Apply:

You will need the following documents to complete your application:

• A CV;
• A scanned PDF of your most recent relevant qualification;
• We recommend to add two recent letters of recommendation, giving an overview of your academic and/or professional achievements. You can upload these letters at the time of application if you have them to hand. You will also be provided with a link as soon as you have submitted your application to forward to your referees to upload their letters confidentially.

The earliest expected start date for selected candidatesis May 2023.

Ready to take part? Then please submit your application by 23 January 2023 at midnight (12.00 AM CEST).