Job Technische Universiteit Eindhoven - PhD Lightning; From Terrestrial Gamma-Ray Flashes to Lightning Protection

Lightning remains a fascinating phenomenon. The last few years it is found that lightning extends to the ionosphere and also that high-energy radiation is generated. From space 30 MeV radiation has been detected, at ground level energies of the order of 1 MeV. These observations indicate that electron can be accelerated to large kinetic energies in the electric fields associated with thunderstorms.  Also in the laboratory, energetic radiation has been detected in a developing discharge over 1 MV. The BTP/UL project aims to extend the knowledge on how electrons can get such energies under atmospheric conditions. Fast X-ray detection coupled with nano-second fast current measurement are available as diagnostic tools; ns-fast photography is planned but has to be developed. Other experimental needs will show up once started. This part of the research is carried out in cooperation with ESA and the Danish Space Institute, and with the CWI for model building, where another PhD student is engaged in the same project.

A parallel part deals lightning protection. The group EPS has an outstanding record on lightning protection of equipment (e.g. in nuclear power plants) where extreme requirements on reliability had to be met. Cooperation in this field is with a.o. the power company Liandon and with Dutch NLR and KNMI. Actual tests on buildings and structures are foreseen. In both parts, the PhD has the responsibility for the measurements and the evaluation, and final publication of the results.

Candidates for this PhD position should meet the following requirements:
• MSc in Electrical Engineering/Physics with knowledge or did minor/majors in subject related areas such as pulsed power technology, plasma physics or power engineering.

• The candidate should be self-propelling,  should have excellent communication skills, in order to function cooperate successfully in a team with students, researchers and companies.
• Fluency and good writing abilities in English and/or Dutch is required.

(EES group)

The Department of Electrical Engineering concerns the research and education of the Electrical Engineering discipline. Electrical Engineering covers the application of electrical phenomena with respect to energy transfer, telecommunication, and calculation and processing of information and the technology involved. Both hardware, in the form of electronic circuits and accessories, and software, in the form of system software for electro-technical application, are the subject of study. Existing and new electrical components and systems are analyzed, designed and realized. In addition, the maintenance of these systems is the subject of research, as is the relevance for society of electrical engineering and informatics.