ERC-funded postdoctoral position in data analysis for the WEAVE survey

We would like to invite expression of interest in a postdoctoral position funded by the ERC FEEDGALAXIES (PI Michele Fumagalli) within the COSMIB group  in the Astrophysics Unit of the Physics Department at the University of Milano-Bicocca.

Candidate profile The successful candidate will become an active participant of the WEAVE spectroscopic survey at the William Herschel Telescope and will lead the development of tools for the identification, classification, and characterisation of absorption line systems in quasar spectra at moderate resolution. We are thus seeking a candidate with a strong profile in data analysis, and in particular with expertise in machine learning including classification and/or pattern recognition. The candidate will also be in a prime position to exploit the large and high-quality WEAVE sample for the study of the intergalactic medium and circumgalactic medium and/or collaborate on several of the machine learning projects active within the Physics Department, including the detection and characterisation of gravitational waves and medical imaging applications.

About WEAVE Prime science goals of the WEAVE-QSO working group include: probing foreground quasar absorption at z>2 for the study of galaxy and quasar environments (also with dedicated WEAVE IFU observations), the study of the inter/circum galactic medium, and mapping the large scale structure of the Universe on scales up to the BAO scale using the Lya forest. WEAVE is expected to bring interesting and novel insight into absorption line systems thanks to its combination of good S/N and resolution. At Milano-Bicocca, the successful candidate will join a lead node in WEAVE-QSO with focus on the study of absorption line systems (ALSs) against background quasars, taking a prominent role both in the identification and analysis of ALSs and in the science exploitation of the results.

Astrophysics in Milano Bicocca Astrophysics at the University of Milan-Bicocca has been growing significantly in recent years: in the span of a couple of years we gathered a young and energetic team of 10 faculty members, 4 of whom have ERCs. Through national and international funding, we are quickly growing the number of postdocs and PhD students, and we expect to have over 25 researchers in post in the coming year. We are very active in theoretical, observational, and experimental programmes in cosmology, black holes and gravitational waves, and the physics of galaxy evolution and cosmic structures. The group is leading major observational and theoretical programmes at national and international facilities, also in collaboration with INFN (National Institute for Nuclear Physics) and INAF (National Institute for Astrophysics). Members of the group are also active participants in several international collaborations, including the MUSE consortium, the WEAVE collaboration, the LISA consortium, the Virgo Collaboration, the European and International pulsar timing array collaboration, the Simons Observatory, the LiteBIRD satellite, and the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) experiment on the International Space Station.

Position details This position will be funded for 24 months by the ERC grant FEEDGALAXIES (PI Michele Fumagalli) with a competitive (tax free) salary and a generous allowance for travels and research-related expenses. In-house HPC facilities as well as national HPC resources (including to the recently commissioned GPU cluster Marconi-100 at Cineca) will be available to the successful candidate.

To express interest in this position, please send a CV and a brief (max 2 pages) statement of previous experience and future goals. Also please arrange for two letters of reference to be received by the closing date. For all inquiries and to express interest in this opportunity, please contact Prof. Michele Fumagalli at [email protected], specifying "WEAVE position" in the subject line. For further opportunities in the COSMIB group, visit the group website. We welcome applications from everyone irrespective of gender, ethnic group, or nationality.