Atmospheric aerosols are small particles that are emitted from natural sources and by human activities. Aerosol is an important factor for cloud formation. Its abundance influences the reflectivity of clouds, the amount of rain that is produced and the lifetime of a cloud. The atmospheric aerosol burden has strongly increased due to human influences, so that cloud properties may have changed significantly compared to the preindustrial atmosphere. An important goal of IMAU cloud research is to improve understanding of the influence of the chemical composition and the size distribution of aerosol on cloud formation and development. The PhD-researcher will study aerosol-cloud interactions, with an emphasis on aerosol properties typical for the Netherlands and Western Europe. A computer model that simulates cloud formation and development will be used to analyse measurement data obtained from cloud chamber experiments from the Energieonderzoek Centrum Nederland (ECN). Your task will be to further develop and test the model, and to perform numerical simulations of the cloud chamber experiments and analyse the results. You will also help perform the experiments. The results of the study will help improve the representation of aerosol-cloud interactions in climate models.

University Graduate
We ask for this position a MSc in physics or chemistry, with knowledge of atmospheric processes and programming (FORTRAN90).

- Teaching & Research (Scientific expertise: Natural Sciences)
- Research trainees, non-tenured lecturers, researchers

Utrecht University The Institute for Marine and Atmospheric research Utrecht (IMAU)

The new Faculty of Science consists of six departments: Biology, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Information and Computing Sciences, Physics and Astronomy, Chemistry and Mathematics. The Faculty is home to 3500 students and nearly 2000 staff and is internationally renowned for the quality of its research. The Faculty's academic programmes reflect developments in today's society.

The Institute for Marine and Atmospheric research Utrecht (IMAU) is an interfaculty research institute that focuses on the fundamental aspects of climate dynamics. Research is organized in five main themes: ice and climate, ocean circulation and climate, atmospheric physics and chemistry, atmospheric dynamics and boundary layer meteorology and physical geography and oceanography of the coastal zone. The IMAU includes some 15 faculty members, 15 postdocs and 30 PhD students. The graduate programme is organized in the Buys Ballot research school.

Estimated maximum salary per month: eur 2000 - 2500
Salaryscale 10.
Maximum salary amount in Euro's a month 2407
Employment basis: Temporary for specified period
Duration of the contract: 4 years
Maximum hours per week: 40

Additional conditions of employment:
A full-time position for four years. Your gross salary starts with € 1877,- per month in the first year and increases to € 2407,- in the fourth year of employment. The salary is supplemented with a holiday bonus of 8% and an end-of-year bonus of 2% per year. In addition we offer: a pension scheme, a health insurance allowance; partially paid parental leave, facilities for child care, flexible employment conditions in which you may trade salary for vacation days or vice versa.

Additional information about the vacancy can be obtained from:

Dr. G.J. Roelofs
Telephone number: +31 (0)30 253 2821
E-mail address:

 
Or additional information can be obtained through one of the following links.

You can apply for this job before 18-02-2006 by sending your application to:

The faculty strongly encourages women to apply

When applying for this job always mention the vacancynumber 63601.