In this PhD project, you will combine theoretical and numerical modeling to fill a persistent gap in our understanding of the mechanics of soft solids. 

When you twist a solid cylinder, its height spontaneously changes. This is one example of shear dilatancy, a well known but poorly understood nonlinear effect in solid mechanics. Shear dilatancy occurs in numerous types of soft matter, including gels, grains, pastes, and foams. Despite this ubiquity, we cannot reliably predict the amplitude or even the sign of the effect – most materials expand, but some contract. The fundamental and unresolved challenge is to identify a necessary and sufficient set of physical mechanisms responsible for shear dilatancy in soft solids.

Recent experiments revealed that concentrated emulsions possess a rare property – they can be tuned to display positive or negative shear dilatancy. These systems are therefore uniquely suited to test hypotheses on the origins of shear dilatancy. In this project, you will use pen-and-paper modeling in continuum mechanics, together with molecular dynamics simulations of attractive emulsions, to perform these tests.

As a PhD candidate at TU Delft, you will conduct original scientific research, report your results in international publications and presentations, and write and defend a PhD thesis within 4 years. You will also have the opportunity to mentor BSc and MSc students and co-supervise their thesis projects. Your will be supervised by Dr. Brian Tighe, an expert in the mechanics of soft solids and complex fluids. 

We seek a student with a passion for fundamental research who is driven primarily by scientific curiosity.

The successful candidate will hold an MSc degree in physics or mechanical engineering. Demonstrated proficiency in computer simulations using LAMMPS or similar is essential. Knowledge of continuum solid mechanics is a plus, but can also be developed during the project. Excellent communication skills in written and spoken English are required. We strongly encourage candidates from underrepresented groups to apply.

Doing a PhD at TU Delft requires English proficiency at a certain level to ensure that the candidate is able to communicate and interact well, participate in English-taught Doctoral Education courses, and write scientific articles and a final thesis. For more details please check the Graduate Schools Admission Requirements.

Fixed-term contract: 4 years.

Doctoral candidates will be offered a 4-year period of employment in principle, but in the form of 2 employment contracts. An initial 1,5 year contract with an official go/no go progress assessment within 15 months. Followed by an additional contract for the remaining 2,5 years assuming everything goes well and performance requirements are met.

Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, increasing from € 2872 per month in the first year to € 3670 in the fourth year. As a PhD candidate you will be enrolled in the TU Delft Graduate School. The TU Delft Graduate School provides an inspiring research environment with an excellent team of supervisors, academic staff and a mentor. The Doctoral Education Programme is aimed at developing your transferable, discipline-related and research skills.

The TU Delft offers a customisable compensation package, discounts on health insurance, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged.

For international applicants, TU Delft has the Coming to Delft Service. This service provides information for new international employees to help you prepare the relocation and to settle in the Netherlands. The Coming to Delft Service offers a Dual Career Programme for partners and they organise events to expand your (social) network.

Delft University of Technology

Delft University of Technology is built on strong foundations. As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For generations, our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-solvers, both in business and in a social context.

At TU Delft we embrace diversity as one of our core values and we actively engage to be a university where you feel at home and can flourish. We value different perspectives and qualities. We believe this makes our work more innovative, the TU Delft community more vibrant and the world more just. Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale. That is why we invite you to apply. Your application will receive fair consideration.

Challenge. Change. Impact!

Faculty Mechanical Engineering

From chip to ship. From machine to human being. From idea to solution. Driven by a deep-rooted desire to understand our environment and discover its underlying mechanisms, research and education at the ME faculty focusses on fundamental understanding, design, production including application and product improvement, materials, processes and (mechanical) systems.

ME is a dynamic and innovative faculty with high-tech lab facilities and international reach. It’s a large faculty but also versatile, so we can often make unique connections by combining different disciplines. This is reflected in ME’s outstanding, state-of-the-art education, which trains students to become responsible and socially engaged engineers and scientists. We translate our knowledge and insights into solutions to societal issues, contributing to a sustainable society and to the development of prosperity and well-being. That is what unites us in pioneering research, inspiring education and (inter)national cooperation.

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. Do you want to experience working at our faculty? These videos will introduce you to some of our researchers and their work.

For more information about the position, please contact Dr. Brian Tighe, b.p.tighe@tudelft.nl.