Nuclear Physics Postdoctoral Research Fellow

The Nuclear Physics and Fundamental Symmetries group in the Department of Physics at Central Michigan University invites applications for a postdoctoral researcher position with expertise in experimental nuclear physics, beginning after January 1, 2026. The CMU group performs research in low-energy nuclear physics to address questions in nuclear astrophysics, nuclear structure and reactions, and in fundamental symmetries. The group leads experimental research programs at various particle accelerator laboratories, focusing on unstable beam experiments at the nearby Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB). Activities carried out locally at CMU include the development and characterization of radiation and ion beam tracking detectors and precision mass measurements with the CHIP-TRAP Penning trap.

The selected candidate will be focused on the program of precision mass measurements at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams that Profs. Alfredo Estrade and Matthew Redshaw lead. These measurements have applications to nuclear astrophysics, nuclear structure, and fundamental symmetries and include time-of-flight mass measurements with the S800 spectrometer, and Penning trap measurements with the LEBIT facility. The measurements aim to provide data for heavy-element nucleosynthesis processes and nuclear processes in neutron stars, and for applications to fundamental symmetries.

As a postdoctoral researcher you will be expected to take a leading role in planning and running experiments at FRIB. You can also be involved in projects to develop nuclear physics instrumentation, such as ion beam tracking detectors and instrumentation for ion traps. You will have the opportunity to supervise CMU graduate students, and you will be mentored and encouraged to develop your own ideas for experiments at accelerator laboratories.

Central Michigan University has a more than 125-year legacy of preparing students to become leaders and changemakers in their communities and in their personal and professional lives.

We serve nearly 15,500 students on our Mount Pleasant campus, in satellite locations around the state and throughout the country, and through flexible online programs. Many of our approximately 300 undergraduate, master’s, specialist and doctoral programs in the arts, media, business, education, human services, health professions, liberal arts, social sciences, medicine, science and engineering are nationally ranked for excellence.

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