Postdoctoral Position in IR Instrumentation at Notre Dame

The Notre Dame Department of Physics, Astrophysics Research Group has an opening for a postdoctoral research fellow to work on high contrast direct imaging of extrasolar planets and IR instrumentation. The position will involve work on the Gemini Planet Imager (GPI), particularly the planned upgrade of GPI and its recommissioning at Gemini North. GPI is an advanced adaptive optics coronagraph that has recently completed a large-scale survey of young stars in the southern hemisphere. GPI was originally installed on the Gemini South telescope in Chile in 2013 and will be undergoing an upgrade as part of a relocation to Gemini North. The upgrade will incorporate an EMCCD pyramid sensor, new coronagraph masks, focal-plane speckle estimation, and new modes for the integral field spectrograph. At Notre Dame, researchers will work with Prof. Jeffrey Chilcote who is involved in the upgrade focusing on GPI’s IFS, installing and alignment of subsystems, and the integration and testing of the instrument.

Qualifications include a PhD in physics, astronomy, or a related field, strong communication skills, and leadership qualities. Applicants with a background in optical & IR instrumentation, high-contrast extrasolar planet imaging, or integral field spectroscopy are particularly encouraged to apply. The appointment is for two years, with a third-year contingent on performance and continued funding. Base salary will be commensurate with experience.

The GPI2 collaboration includes Stanford (overall performance), Cornell (operations and software), UC San Diego (Pyramid Sensor), Notre Dame (spectrograph and integration and testing), and there are postdoctoral opportunities at several institutions. Applicants are encouraged to contact any of the advertisers of ads if any questions exist about the difference between them.

The University of Notre Dame is located in South Bend, Indiana and provides a family friendly environment and affordable cost of living. The successful applicant will receive health care and benefits (http://hr.nd.edu/benefits/). More information about being a postdoctoral scholar at Notre Dame can be found at http://postdocs.nd.edu.

Please submit your application materials at https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/14945. Candidates should provide a cover letter, CV, a 3-page statement of research interests, publication list and arrange to have three letters of recommendation submitted. The deadline for applications is December 2, 2019. Late applications will be considered at the discretion of the search committee.