Post-Doctoral Research Assistant
University of Bristol, UK
'SiO Maser Modelling - Assessment of Mass Loss and Hydrogen
Concentrations in Late Type Stars'
Applications are invited for a post-doctoral position to work on a challenging project which
seeks to investigate the rate of mass-loss from late type stars.
The candidate should have expertise in one or more of the following areas: 1) quantum-
mechanical scattering theory; 2) ab-initio molecular electronic structure theory; 3) radiation
transport and hydrodynamics. The project will use advanced techniques and computer codes from
all these disciplines at different stages.
The objectives of the project will be to model the SiO maser radiation from the region of
late type stars and from this modelling to ascertain the state and quantity of the hydrogen gas
present in the region where mass-loss is initiated. This in turn will permit an estimation of the rate
of mass loss from the stars involved.
In order to model the maser radiation an improved knowledge the vibrationally-rotationally
inelastic collision cross sections of SiO with the most abundant available collision partners is
needed. The project is already well under way and we have nearly finished the calculation of the
necessary interaction potentials. The next stage of the project will be the computation of inelastic
collision cross sections using these potentials followed by the use of the computed cross sections in
maser modelling calculations.
The successful candidate will work with Prof. Gabriel Balint-Kurti (School of Chemistry),
Dr. Malcolm Gray (Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Wales, Cardiff) and
Prof. David Field (Institute of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus, Denmark). Applications should be made
to Prof. G.G. Balint-Kurti ( School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK)
and should supply the names of two referees.
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Gabriel Balint-Kurti
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Tel: +44 (0)117 9287662
Fax: +44 (0)117 9251295
http://www.bris.ac.uk/Depts/Chemistry/staff/ggbk.htm
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