The Institute for Astronomy of the ETH Zurich invites applicants for two PhD positions in Extragalactic Astrophysics to work with Prof. Carollo on observational projects based on data from the Zurich Environmental Survey (ZENS), the Dark Energy Survey (DES), and the new integral-field MUSE spectrograph on the Very Large Telescope (VLT) at the European Southern Observatory (ESO, Chile; first-light in 2013). The projects involve acquisition of new DES and MUSE data at the telescopes in Chile, and their processing, analysis and modeling. Specific scientific goals include the establishment of dependences of galaxy structural and star formation properties on environmental conditions and their evolution with time in a cosmological context.
The Doctoral School of the ETH Institute for Astronomy offers PhD students a variety of basic and advanced courses, a vigorous schedule of international visitors, a dynamic series of external speakers in specialized seminars, and regular research colloquia covering a broad spectrum of Physics topics. The length of the PhD training is typically 4 years. The salary scale is attractive (CHF 51'750 - 59'250) and there is substantial support for travel (observing, conference, collaborations), computing and publication charges. Zurich is regularly rated one of the top cities of the world in terms of quality of life.
Applications are invited from candidates with a solid background in physics (Master degree or equivalent), and should contain a brief Curriculum Vitae, a summary of any research and academic experience, and pdf-scanned copies of original transcripts of Bachelor and Master academic records (passed exams with marks). All documents should be sent electronically in a single pdf file to: eth-astro-extragalactic-phd@phys.ethz.ch. Applicants should arrange for two letters of recommendation to be sent directly by the referees to the same email-address. The deadline for applications is December 7, 2012.
Standard Swiss Social Security, Accident Insurance and Pension contributions.
