Careers › Plasma Physicist — Simulation & Control
Plasma Physicist — Simulation & Control
PhysicsFull-timeLos Angeles, CA (hybrid)
Own the plasma physics of both Kronos machines in a simulation-first program — equilibrium, stability, transport, and the real-time control that holds a burning plasma.
About the role
At Kronos, physics models are not academic exercises: they set the design point, define the control targets, and become part of the digital twin that will one day run the plant. You'll work across the negative-triangularity spherical-tokamak breeder (Hyperion) and the D–³He tandem-mirror burner (Aegis / MetroVolt), and you'll publish what you find — including the open gates.
What you'll do
- Build and validate equilibrium, transport, and MHD-stability models for the breeder and the burner.
- Develop disruption-avoidance physics for the tokamak and plug-stability supervision for the mirror.
- Translate physics into actionable control targets for the KRONOS-CTRL stack and the digital twin.
- Own reproducible analyses end to end, with clear error budgets and honest uncertainty.
- Help maintain the public 'honest gates' — the results that are not yet solved.
- Collaborate closely with magnets, materials, and controls engineers.
What you bring
- PhD in plasma physics or equivalent research experience.
- Hands-on work with tokamak or magnetic-mirror confinement.
- Fluency with equilibrium/transport/stability codes and scientific Python.
- A rigorous, reproducible research practice and a record of publication.
- Intellectual honesty about the line between a validated result and an extrapolation.
Compensation
Compensation discussed early in the process; California pay range provided on request.
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