The interaction of nanoparticles with the surface of bubbles and drops is important in a variety of fields, from energy (e.g. oil extraction) to materials science (e.g. production of light materials).

Nanoparticles can flow in the bulk fluid, and adhere to the fluid interface, in turn changing the interface’s mechanical properties (Botto, Lorenzo, et al. “Capillary interactions between anisotropic particles.” Soft Matter 8.39 (2012): 9957-9971)

We are interested in applying theory and computations to develop an understanding of how this interaction works at the fundamental level.

THE OPPORTUNITY:

A 3-year, fully-funded PhD studentship is available to carry out research in the Fluids, Particles and Interfaces research group of Lorenzo Botto ( bottogroup.wordpress.com/).

The scholarship includes funding for travel to international conferences, training in workshops and schools, and consummables. The research group is currently composed of 2 PhD students and 3 postdocs, so the PhD student will have plenty of opportunities to interact and learn from colleagues. The project is funded by the European Research Council through ERC project FLEXNANOFLOW.

The opportunity is open to students of any nationality.

The position must be filled as soon as possible.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR:

The tools that we are using are primarily theory and numerical simulations. We are looking ideally for someone with prior experience in the simulation of colloidal systems, flows with particles with continuum approaches (Brownian Dynamics, Stokesian Dynamics, Immersed Boundary, etc.) or molecular/mesoscale dynamics methods. A solid grounding in physics and math is necessary. Knowledge of fluid mechanics, general continuum mechanics, or transport phenomena is ideal.

TO APPLY: if you are interested in this opportunity send an email [ https://www.sems.qmul.ac.uk/staff/l.botto] explaining your motivation to join the group. Attach a CV, and any research publication you may have (including publications in draft stage). Priority will be given to students who engage early, as the position must be filled soon. Thanks.