This page is for advertising positions related to CMB research broadly defined, e.g., postdocs, faculty, laboratory and technical positions. To post positions, please send the description and link to C. Reichardt.
- Postdoc in experimental cosmology at UCR, Apr 30, 2024, until filled
- PhD position on blazars/TDEs at IA-FORTH, May 1, 2024, until filled
- Postdoc in experimental cosmology at Milano-Bicocca, Italy, May 15, 2024
- South Pole Telescope winterover positions, until filled
- South Pole Science Machinist position, until filled
- Postdoc at KIPAC at Stanford/SLAC, until filled
- Postdoc at Duke University, until filled
- Operations Project Scientist position at Harvard University, until filled
- Multiple Postdocs on BROWSEPOL, until filled
Postdoc in experimental cosmology at UCR, Apr 30, 2024, until filled
The Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of California, Riverside (UCR) seeks applications for a postdoctoral position for research in experimental/observational cosmology. This search is a part of a new experimental effort being built at UCR in the general areas of cosmological sciences (gravitational wave, dark matter, neutrino, CMB, and more), currently consisting of Barry Barish, Steve Choi, Jon Richardson, and Shawn Westerdale, and continuing to grow (with new faculty searches ongoing). The theory group is represented by Yanou Cui, Flip Tanedo, Hai-Bo Yu, Simeon Bird, Anson D’Aloisio, and Laura Sales.
The selected candidate will primarily work with Choi’s group in developing and commissioning new instruments and/or data analyses for a combination of astronomical observatories, including the CCAT Observatory, Atacama Cosmology Telescope, Simons Observatory, and CMB-S4. The initial appointment is for 2 years with possibility for renewal based on satisfactory performance and continued funding. Applicants should have a Ph.D. in physics, astrophysics, or a related field, with experience in astronomical instrumentation and/or cosmological data analyses.
PhD position on Blazars/TDEs at IA-FORTH, May 1, 2024, until filled
The Institute of Astrophysics at the Foundation for Research and Technology – Hellas (IA-FORTH) invites applications for a 3-year PhD position broadly on blazars and Tidal Disruption events to work with Dr. Ioannis Liodakis’s group, funded by the ERC Starting Grant BOOTES (Black hOle Optical polarization TimE-domain Survey). BOOTES is focusing on multiwavelength polarization observations of blazars and TDEs trying to understand early accretion disk and jet formation as well particle acceleration and high-energy processes in jets from supermassive black holes. Applicants who can connect their previous research to the objectives of BOOTES are encouraged to apply, but all applications will be considered equally. The PhD projects of the successful applicant will be decided based on their expertise and aspirations for their future academic career. The group is involved in many international collaborations providing networking and mentoring opportunities. The position comes with competitive salary, a generous travel package, and opportunities to spend extended research visits in the US. The expected start date is September 2024 (negotiable).
Please contact Dr. Liodakis for further information and to apply.
Postdoc in experimental cosmology at Milano-Bicocca, Italy, May 15, 2024
The successful candidate will work with the local Experimental Cosmology group at Milano-Bicocca to design, build, test, and deploy artificial calibrators flying on drones and balloons within view of the Simons Observatory telescopes (and any other telescope at the Chilean site) to calibrate their polarization-sensitive focal planes. The research activity is mostly experimental and includes: polarized mm-wave sources, polarization angle and beam calibration, optical and mechanical design and assembly, electronic board design and implementation, software tools for controlling the payload and its attitude, photogrammetry, star sensors for attitude control, raw data analysis, drone and tethered balloon systems, deployment at the Atacama site, and data pipeline integration with SO.
Postdoc at KIPAC at Stanford/SLAC, until filled
Applications are invited for a postdoctoral position at the Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology (KIPAC) at Stanford University and the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory with a focus on instrumentation for Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) surveys. The position is primarily intended to focus on the development of technology for the CMB-S4 experiment, but also to expand our work with other CMB experiments such as the BICEP/Keck Array, the South Pole Telescope (SPT), and the Simons Observatory. Successful candidates may also contribute to the development of technologies and analysis methods in other areas of cosmology and physics.
We seek a candidate with experience in instrumentation development to work in the following areas: 1. Development of CMB-S4 instrumentation prototypes and software, especially in the area of superconducting transition-edge sensors and their SQUID-amplified readout. 2. Application of CMB detector and readout technology in new concepts for future far -infrared and line intensity mapping surveys, low-mass dark matter searches, THz photon sensing, and quantum sensors for physics.
Candidates with prior expertise in low temperature or superconducting detectors and readout electronics are particularly encouraged to apply. Candidates interested in science analyses for cosmic inflation, CMB lensing and secondaries using data from current-generation CMB telescopes will have ample opportunities to engage with local expertise in related areas.
The successful candidate will work with CMB scientists in the aforementioned collaborations and interact with the local CMB and other HEP instrumentation groups, making connections to other exciting opportunities for measurements in cosmology and physics. KIPAC provides a stimulating intellectual environment for interactions with scientists pursuing observational, experimental, computational, and theoretical research relevant to the above areas. For more information on KIPAC’s research program including CMB, please visit https://kipac.stanford.edu/research/topics.
South Pole Telescope winterover positions, until filled
South Pole Science Machinist position, until filled
Postdoc at Duke University, until filled
The cosmology group at Duke University invites applications for a postdoctoral position in the area of cosmology (experimental, observational and theoretical), time-domain and galaxy cluster astrophysics, and new techniques in statistical and image analysis. The cosmology group is composed of Profs. Arun Kannawadi, Dan Scolnic, Michael Troxel, Eve Vavagiakis and Chris Walter, working on current and next generation experiments, including CCAT, CMB-S4, the Dark Energy Survey, Hyper-Suprime Cam Subaru Strategic Program, the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, the Rubin Observatory LSST, and the Simons Observatory. The Duke cosmology group currently consists of about ten PhD students and four postdocs or research scientists, and will continue to grow and expand. We are committed to building a group that is inclusive and representative of our community. For this reason, we strongly encourage applicants who come from groups that are historically underrepresented in physics departments.
This researcher would work with Prof. Eve Vavagiakis to support CCAT, the Simons Observatory, and/or CMB-S4, with opportunities for joint analyses with data from the Atacama Cosmology Telescope and optical surveys. The researcher will lead and contribute to projects in a variety of potential topics, including the development of new instrumentation and superconducting detector technologies for upcoming surveys, and pipeline development and data analysis for cosmology and astrophysics. Candidates are expected to be experienced with relevant instrumentation (cryogenics, mechanical design, low-temperature electronics, superconducting devices) and data analysis techniques in cosmology/millimeter or submillimeter wave astronomy, and to have strong oral and written communication skills.
Operations Project Scientist position at Harvard University, until filled
The Harvard Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) group invites applications for a scientist position to pursue research related to conducting Cosmic Microwave Background measurements with the BICEP Array telescopes and the CMB Stage 4 experiment.
The Operations Project Scientist will independently coordinate and execute the range of complex research activities essential to remote operation of our observatories, including planning and optimizing our surveys and seasonal on-site activities, managing data flow and documentation, designing analysis algorithms, and providing training and guidance to researchers. The successful candidate will also participate in science analyses in support of our current observations and will play a leading role in developing operations expertise to meet the needs of next-generation millimeter-wave observatories such as CMB-S4.
The role requires long-duration travel (~2-3 months) to the South Pole (~10,000 feet altitude) to participate in field operations of the BICEP/Keck telescopes. Applications will be reviewed as they are received. Start date is negotiable, and will be no later than Fall 2024 but with earlier start desirable.
Multiple postdocs on BROWSEPOL, until filled
The Cosmology groups at the University of Ferrara (UNIFE), University of Padova (UNIPD) and at the
Observatory of Astrophysics and Space Science of Bologna (INAF), invite expressions of interest for three post-doc positions at each location, for two years.
The positions are funded by the PRIN project “BROWSEPOL: Beyond standaRd mOdel With coSmic
microwavE background POLarization”. BROWSEPOL aims at the theoretical and phenomenological
investigation of fundamental physics signatures beyond the standard cosmological model, including, e.g.,
signatures of parity violation arising in the context of Cosmic Birefringence or in other observables.
The research work will be focused on the development of theoretical models (related to inflationary or late
time universe physics) and new predictions of the corresponding CMB phenomenology, on the
implementation of new analysis techniques to CMB polarization data, as well as on the forecasts for next-
generation CMB experiments focused on B-modes, including SO, CMB-S4 and LiteBIRD.
All the research work will be carried on in strong synergy by the three above mentioned units through
closely connected activities. The successful applicants will benefit from a lively and stimulating
environment at all three locations as they will become part of active cosmology groups composed of
several staff, postdocs, PhD and undergraduate students. The position in Padua
(https://www.dfa.unipd.it/en/research/research-areas-and-groups/astronomy-astrophysics-and-physics-
of-the-earth-and-planets/theoretical-astrophysics-and-cosmology) will be supervised by Prof. Nicola
Bartolo ([email protected]), the one in Ferrara (www.fe.infn.it/cosmologia) by Prof. Paolo Natoli
([email protected]) and the one in Bologna (https://www.oas.inaf.it/it/ricerca/m1-it/cmb-it/) by Dr.
Alessandro Gruppuso ([email protected]).
Those interested should write an email to any supervisor above, including a short CV (maximum 2 pages),
a complete list of publications and the names and email addresses of up to three referees who might be
asked to provide a letter of reference.