Applications are invited for a Caltech Postdoctoral Scholar position in Small Bodies of the Solar System at Caltech/IPAC. The successful applicant will work with Professors George Helou and Tom Prince on the discovery and characterization of asteroids including Near-Earth Objects (NEO) using data from the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) - https://www.ztf.caltech.edu .
ZTF is a time-domain survey of the sky using a 47 square degree camera on the Samuel Oschin 48-inch Schmidt telescope at Palomar, and a data system with advanced Moving Object Discovery capability. ZTF scans more than 3750 square degrees an hour to a depth of 20.5 mag, with a variety of sky coverage schemes and cadences, some of which are optimized for finding asteroids and NEOs.
The successful applicant will implement the effort to find and report asteroids/NEOs, working with the ZTF team at Caltech and the ZTF worldwide Solar System Science Working Group. A considerable number of tools and processes are in place already, so the effort will focus on refining and exercising these tools in a sustained fashion.
The successful applicant will also have a fraction of their time for independent research, preferably aligned with the ZTF Solar System assignment, and utilizing resources at Caltech and IPAC.
The appointment will be for two years, with a possible extension for an additional year, subject to the availability of funds. To apply, please email the following in a single pdf file: (1) a brief cover letter describing your interest in the position, (2) a curriculum vitae, (3) publication list, (4) the names and contact information of three references, and (5) a summary of previous and current research (limited to 3 pages).
Application materials should be sent to meb@ipac.caltech.edu . Complete applications submitted by March 6, 2019 will receive full consideration, but review of applications will continue until a candidate has been identified.
Applicants must hold a Ph.D. degree in astrophysics or related fields by the starting date (summer 2019, but earlier start dates are possible).
We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We encourage members of groups that have been underrepresented in STEM fields to apply.
