Post-doctoral fellow in Galactic Archeology through high-precision spectroscopy with the IGRINS and MOONs spectrometers - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

Subject description

The position is placed at the Division of Astrophysics in the Department of Physics to work in the group of Professor Nils Ryde, on doing advanced and independent research in Galactic archeology with precision stellar spectroscopy in the near-infrared. The goal is to obtain a deeper understanding of the physical processes that drive the evolution of the Galactic Center, especially a better understanding of its star formation history. The needed chemodynamic studies will provide insights into the chemical enrichment history and the formation and evolution of different components and stellar populations. The postdoc will lead the efforts in scientifically analyzing data from the IGRINS spectrometer as well as developing precision tests for data coming from the planned ESO’s VLT/MOONs spectroscopic survey. First light data is expected in 2025. Specifically, studies of dust-obscured stellar populations, such as in the center of the Milky Way, will be performed, but general studies on the cosmic origin of the elements will also be performed. The research is supported by the Swedish Research Council.

Work duties

The main duties involved in this post-doctoral posistion are to conduct research. Teaching may also be included, but up to no more than 20% of working hours.  The employee will be leading the efforts in the project. He or she will independently work on developing existing spectroscopic methods of the determination of stellar parameters and develop methods for precise determination of stellar abundances in high-resolution stellar spectra in near-infrared spectral bands. These studies will be based partly on Gemini/IGRINS data and partly on data from the upcoming MOONs spectrometer. This means that the employee will need to apply for more observation time, conduct observational preparations, possibly conduct the observations, and doing the data reductions. The analysis of these data has to be carefully developed to reach the highest level of precision and accuracy. There will be a level of freedom for the postdoc to pursue the scientific direction depending on how the project develops.

The employee is expected to promote the research results via publication of scientific papers, give talks at international conferences and by visiting other research institutes and giving seminars. This will mean some travel and there is a budget available for this but the employee is also expected to apply for travel funds from external bodies, such as learned societies and research councils.

The employee is expected to contribute to the group’s daily scientific life and participate in meetings with collaborators in Lund and elsewhere where we share research results and have scientific discussions.

Work duties will include:

Preparations and conductions of spectroscopic observations Development of spectroscopic methods Scientific analysis of IGRINS and MOONs data Training bachelor and master students in stellar spectroscopy Collaboration and participation within the ISA research group at the division of astrophysics. There will be ample possibility in teaching development

The position shall include the opportunity for three weeks of training in higher education teaching and learning.

Qualification requirements

Appointment to a post-doctoral position requires that the applicant has a PhD, or an international degree deemed equivalent to a PhD, within the field, completed no more than three years before the date of employment. Under special circumstances, the doctoral degree can have been completed earlier.

When hiring a postdoctoral fellow, the following must form the basis for assessment:

The employee must have a doctoral degree broadly related to stellar astrophysics and galactic archeology. Good ability to carry out high-quality research and documented supervision of master and bachelor students. Very good knowledge of English, both spoken and written.

Assessment criteria and other qualifications

This is a career development position primarily focused on research. The position is intended as a vital step in a career, and the assessment of the applicants will primarily be based on their research qualifications and potential as researchers.

Particular emphasis will be placed on research skills within the subject.

For appointments to a post-doctoral position, the following shall form the assessment criteria:

A good ability to develop and conduct high quality research. The employee should be specialized in galactic archeology, and have been trained in stellar, near-IR spectroscopy and method development Work experience with stellar spectra (high or low resoltion) in the inner Milky Way/ Galactic center region Teaching skills or potential for teaching.

Additional assessment criteria:

Experience of leading, preparing, and conduction observational programs. Experience of stellar spectroscopic analysis at low and high resolution in the near-IR, and specifically analyses with SME environment. Knowledge of high-precision spectroscopy of K and M giants with IGRINS data. Knowledge of python, IDL, TOPCAT, and other programming languages is a strong advantage. Experience of handling large data sets within international collaborations and large spectroscopic survey teams, such as GALAH, GAIA-ESO, APOGEE. Knowledge of photometry is an advantage. Good track record in publishing first-author papers. Good track record in giving talks at international conferences and seminars

Consideration will also be given to good collaborative skills, drive and independence, and how the applicant’s experience and skills complement and strengthen ongoing research within the department, and how they stand to contribute to its future development.

Terms of employment
This is a full-time, fixed-term employment of 2 years. The period of employment is determined in accordance with the agreement “Avtal om tidsbegränsad anställning som postdoktor” (“Agreement on fixed-term employment as a post-doctoral fellow”) between Lund University, SACO-S and OFR/S, dated 1st February 2022.

 Instructions on how to apply

Applications shall be written in English and be compiled into a PDF-file containing:

• a résumé/CV, including a list of publications
• a general description of past research and future research interests (no more than three pages)
• contact information of at least two references
• copy of the doctoral degree certificate, and other certificates/grades that you wish to be considered.