DESI Postdoctoral Researcher position at LMU Munich

Submission Information
Publish Date: 
Thursday, April 8, 2021
Archive Date: 
Thursday, May 6, 2021
Job Summary
Job Category: 
Post-doctoral Positions and Fellowships
Institution Classification/Type: 
Large Academic
Institution/Company: 
LMU Munich
Department Name: 
Faculty of Physics - University Observatory
Street Line 1: 
Scheinerstr. 1
City: 
Munich
State/Province: 
Bavaria
Zip/Postal: 
81679
Country: 
Germany
Announcement
Job Announcement Text: 

The Astrophysics, Cosmology, and Artificial Intelligence group at the University Observatory of the Department of Physics at the Ludwig-Maximilians University announces the opportunity for a Postdoctoral position. The successful applicant will be expected to evenly split their time between (1) pursuing their own studies in cosmology and extragalactic astronomy and (2) enabling science with the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI).

Possible contributions to DESI especially include work on the spectroscopic pipeline, on DESI’s focal plane control software, or other infrastructure work required for successful DESI operations. Individuals with related experience and a PhD degree in Physics, Astrophysics, or similar fields are encouraged to apply.

The position is part of Professor Daniel Gruen’s research group, which will transfer from Stanford to Munich in Summer 2021, and the successful candidate’s research will ideally connect to or complement existing activities within our team. Current research areas in the group include the use of measurements of cosmic structure for tests of our cosmological model, especially with weak gravitational lensing and/or higher order statistics; studies of galaxy clusters, particularly optically selected ones; the statistical characterization of the galaxy population seen by cosmological surveys, including their connection to dark matter; the calibration of photometric measurements for precision analyses; and the innovative use of artificial intelligence for any of these purposes. Current DESI interests include joint analyses of clustering and lensing, spectroscopic analysis of clusters of galaxies, and constraints on the ugriZYJHK color-redshift relation for photo-z calibration from the DC3R2 secondary target program. Besides DESI, our team will work with international collaborators within the Dark Energy Survey (DES), the Vera C. Rubin Observatory’s Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST), Euclid, and 4MOST, and local collaborators in the Munich astrophysics institutes at LMU, MPE, MPA and ESO, to build a model of our Universe from pixels (or fibers!), through galaxies, to cosmology. We use guaranteed access to the 2m Fraunhofer Telescope at Wendelstein Observatory to complement those survey data and prototype new observing techniques.

We aim to fill the position from Fall 2021, although earlier or later starting dates can be accommodated. The position is initially funded for three years. It includes a modest teaching and mentoring requirement and ample funding for research and travel. Salary is paid according to the German public service pay agreement TV-L E13 including full benefits. The advancement of women in science is an integral part of the university’s policy, and women are especially encouraged to apply. Persons with disabilities will be given preference to other applicants with equal qualifications.

Applicants should prepare a cover letter and the following documents in a single PDF file: CV, publication list, and a 3-page statement of research experience and plans. These documents should be submitted by May 7, 2021, to [email protected] for full consideration. Please include the e-mail addresses of three professional references in your application.

Application Deadline: 
Friday, May 7, 2021
Selection Deadline: 
Friday, May 7, 2021
Current Status of Position: 
Accepting Applicants
Apply to Job
Attention To: 
Daniel Grün
Title: 
Professor
Institution/Company: 
LMU Munich
Department Name: 
Faculty of Physics - University Observatory
Street Line 1: 
Scheinerstr. 1
City: 
Munich
State/Province: 
Bavaria
Zip/Postal Code: 
81679
Country: 
Germany
Inquiries About Job
Attention To: 
Daniel Grün