Postdoctoral position

The Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE) in Garching (Bavaria/Germany) is a world-leading institute in space- and ground-based experimental astrophysics, with leading roles in a number of large astronomical projects.

The OPINAS Group investigates the evolution of cosmological structures ranging from small to large scales, with special focus on the formation and evolution of galaxies, as well as their large scale distribution; the characteristics of supermassive black holes; the origin and properties of the dark components of the universe, i.e. dark matter, dark energy.

In particular, the OPINAS group participates to the Euclid mission, an ESA satellite to be launched in 2022 expected to map the universe more accurately than ever before. The satellite will observe 15000 square degrees of sky in the optical and near infrared bands, and perform slitless spectroscopy in the near-infrared, to measure the evolution of matter structures as a function of redshift and derive constraints on the equation of state of dark energy. The OPINAS group built the complex optics for the near-infrared instrument NISP, leads the German Science Data Center, and participates to several organizational units and science working packages.

The position:

The applicant will work in the context of the Euclid Organizational Unit on Photometric Redshifts (OU-PHZ), with focus on the spectroscopic calibration efforts. In this context, the OPINAS group is performing a near-infrared spectroscopic campaign using the LUCI spectrographs at LBT. The work involves the design of masks, the observations, data reduction and analysis, measuring accurate spectroscopic redshifts and exploring the galaxy evolution implications. Furthermore, scientific interactions on the above mentioned topics are encouraged.

Our offer:

The appointment will be for 2 years. The position is funded by the DLR support to the German Euclid effort until end of 2022, with the possibility of extension. Funding for travel and publication expenses are available.

The salary and social benefits are based on the German TVöD scale for public employees, depending on experience.

Application:

Applicants should have a PhD in astronomy or related field before starting. Applicants should submit their documents (in PDF form) via our online application (https://recruitingapp-5257.de.umantis.com/Vacancies/424/Application/CheckLogin/2?lang=eng) including a CV, a list of publications, a brief (~1 page) description of research interests by December 31, 2020. Later applications will be considered until the position is filled. Two referees should be identified, who can provide letters of recommendation upon request.

For further information about the project, please contact Dr. Roberto Saglia
([email protected] ).

The Max Planck Society is committed to increasing the number of individuals with disabilities in its workforce and therefore encourages applications from such qualified individuals.

Furthermore, the Max Planck Society seeks to increase the number of women in those areas where they are underrepresented and therefore explicitly encourages women to apply.