PhD position Kapteyn Astronomical Institute (6.0 FTE)

PhD position Kapteyn Astronomical Institute (6.0 FTE)
PhD position Kapteyn Astronomical Institute (6.0 FTE)

Published	Deadline	Location
today	1 Dec	Groningen

The Kapteyn Astronomical Institute of the University of Groningen invites applications for 6 PhD positions:
• One position in the group of Prof. Léon Koopmans (Kapteyn) on the localization and study of gravitationally-lensed gravitational waves from black-hole mergers.
TBD.
Job description
The Kapteyn Astronomical Institute of the University of Groningen invites applications for 6 PhD positions:
• One position in the group of Prof. Léon Koopmans (Kapteyn) on the localization and study of gravitationally-lensed gravitational waves from black-hole mergers.
TBD.
• Two positions in the group of Dr Tim Lichtenberg (Kapteyn) to simulate the evolution of magma ocean interiors and atmospheres for the interpretation of exoplanet data.
What are the best observational markers to test the physics of exoplanetary evolution and atmospheric diversity? Which prospects for plate tectonics have super-Earth exoplanets? What makes the difference between lifeless and potentially habitable worlds? Current and near-future exoplanet surveys deliver ever-more accurate insights into the atmospheric and surface conditions of rocky planets that are potentially similar to Earth in a number of features. As part of the expanding Forming Worlds research group at Kapteyn, you will model the interaction of atmospheric volatiles with exoplanetary interiors, applicable to hot magma ocean epochs, such as on short-period exoplanets and the prebiotic Earth. The first project will focus on the atmospheric evolution of exoplanet climates, while the second project will center on the geophysics of planetary interiors. More detailed information can also be found at:
https://www.formingworlds.space/post/phd-positions-october-2022
• One position in the group of Prof. Karina Caputi (Kapteyn, together with Dr Edoardo Iani) to unveil the star-formation histories of high-redshift galaxies.
The presence of emission lines in galaxy spectra is typically a signature of on-going star-formation activity. Many high-redshift galaxies are line emitters, but in the majority of cases little is known about the underlying stellar populations co-existing in these galaxies. Are these galaxies purely young, or are young and old stellar populations simultaneously present? In this project the PhD candidate will study different aspects of this problem by combining spectroscopic and photometric data from world-class observatories, particularly the JWST and VLT. The goal is to constrain the complex star-formation histories of high-z star-forming galaxies and compare with predictions of galaxy formation models.
• Two positions in the group of Dr Harish Vedantham (ASTRON/Kapteyn) to work on the topic of exoplanet radio astronomy.
The aim of these two PhD positions is to study space-weather phenomena around exoplanets using radio observations. The two PhD projects are funded via the ERC starting grant of Dr. Vedantham and they respectively involve (a) searching for radio emission from gas-giant exoplanets with an aim to achieve the first direct detection of magnetic fields on an exoplanet and (b) searching for characteristic radio bursts from nearby stars associated with coronal mass ejections that can have a detrimental effect on exoplanet atmospheres. The candidates will join Dr Vedantham’s young and growing research group which is pioneering the use of novel low-frequency radio telescopes such as LOFAR for stellar, brown dwarf and exoplanet research. The candidate will be based at, and graduate from, the Kapteyn Astronomical Institute of the University of Groningen. The candidate will also make regular visits to ASTRON, the Dutch radio astronomy institute. ASTRON led the design and construction of the LOFAR telescope and is playing a leading role in the upcoming Square Kilometre Array project. We seek candidates with excellent communication skills in English (written and verbal), evidence of research interest, and computer programming experience. Prior experience with either radio astronomy techniques and/or high-performance computing is a key advantage, but not strictly necessary.
The Kapteyn Astronomical Institute is part of The Netherlands Research School for Astronomy (NOVA) and is recognised worldwide for the quality of its research in multiple areas of astronomy. With 15 faculty and 50 PhD students, it is the second-largest astronomical institute in The Netherlands. Groningen, a historic town in the northern Netherlands, occupies a strategic place in Dutch astronomy, hosting both the Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, the low-energy astrophysics division of the Netherlands Institute for Space Research (SRON) and the NOVA sub-mm lab. The Kapteyn Institute has a strong connection with the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON) in Dwingeloo, a European centre of radio astronomy research. Staff and PhD students at the Kapteyn Institute frequently collaborate with SRON and ASTRON scientists and engineers. There are also strong interdisciplinary connections with other institutes in the Faculty of Science and Engineering, and the Dutch Origins Center. English is the common language spoken at the institute.
For detailed questions about a particular project, please email the prospective supervisors: https://www.rug.nl/research/kapteyn/institute/people/medewerkers
Specifications

• max. 38 hours per week
• Groningen View on Google Maps

University of Groningen

Requirements
We seek excellent students with a strong background in the physical sciences who desire to obtain a PhD degree from a top European university. A successful candidate must hold a Masters degree in Physics, Astronomy or a related field, or equivalent by the starting date of the position. Previous research experience and computational skills will be important criteria for the selection.
Conditions of employment

Fixed-term contract: 48 months.

These PhD positions are paid according to the Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities (CAO), which means that they earn internationally competitive salaries (the current annual gross salary, including allowances, increases from about € 35,000 in year 1 to about € 44,800 in year 4) and are eligible for both social security and retirement benefits. All PhD positions are funded for four years.
Department
Faculty of Science and Engineering
Groningen (https://www.visitgroningen.nl/en) is a historic university town in the northern Netherlands with a population of approximately 230,000 people, of which almost 25% are students. This makes Groningen the city in The Netherlands with the highest student population density, the youngest city in the country, and one of the youngest in Europe. Groningen offers very high quality of life, surrounded by beautiful nature, and is a lively city with a remarkably diverse cultural scene. You can find more information on http://groningenlife.nl/en
Additional information
For informal inquiries
[email protected]
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Application procedure
A complete (concatenated in a single PDF file) application includes the following:
1. A general cover-letter motivating your application and detailing the motivation to apply for one or more of the proposed PhD projects. Please clearly indicate which projects you apply for, why you apply for them, and rank them in your order of preference. Without motivation and ranking, your application will be harder to assess (1 page max)
2. A research statement (2 pages max) describing your personal research interests and previous research projects
3. Your CV/resume
4. A certified list of grades from your undergraduate degree(s) up to the moment of application (in case your degree has not yet been awarded).
Candidates have to arrange for two reference letters from researchers to be sent by 1 December 2022, to [email protected]
You can apply until 1 December 11:59pm / before 2 December 2022 Dutch local time (CET) by means of the online application form (click on "Apply" below on the advertisement on the university website). Only submissions via the application form will be considered.
The selection of candidates will continue until all positions are filled.
The University of Groningen strives to be a university in which students and staff are respected and feel at home, regardless of differences in background, experiences, perspectives, and identities. We believe that working on our core values of inclusion and equality are a joint responsibility and we are constructively working on creating a socially safe environment. Diversity among students and staff members enriches academic debate and contributes to the quality of our teaching and research. We therefore invite applicants from underrepresented groups in particular to apply. For more information, see also our diversity policy webpage: https://www.rug.nl/about-ug/policy-and-strategy/diversity-and-inclusion/
Our selection procedure follows the guidelines of the Recruitment code (NVP): https://www.nvp-hrnetwerk.nl/sollicitatiecode/ and European Commission's European Code of Conduct for recruitment of researchers: https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/charter/code
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