Contact: jobs-gw-han[AT]aei.mpg.deLocation: Hannover, Germany
The Max-Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute) invites applications from outstanding candidates for post-doctoral and long-term visiting positions in the Division of Observational Relativity and Cosmology in Hannover, Germany. This division, led by Prof. Bruce Allen, consists of more than 20 scientists along with a number of highly-qualified scientific programmers and sysadmins. The senior scientists are Dr. Badri Krishnan and Dr. Reinhard Prix. The division also hosts two independent research groups led by Dr. M. Alessandra Papa and Dr. Holger Pletsch.
For post-doctoral positions the initial appointments will be for two years, with the possibility of further extension. The start date is expected to be in the second quarter of 2015, but appointments as early as March 2015 are possible. We also welcome inquiries regarding long-term visits by Faculty and senior researchers.
The Division’s core research area is gravitational-wave astronomy and the analysis of data from gravitational-wave detectors. However, applications from those with experience in related areas of astronomy and physics are also welcome. We value excellence, creativity, enthusiam, and genuine interest, and chose candidates based as much on their potential as on their specific expertise.
We are proud to provide a stimulating and dynamic research environment with broad opportunities for enthusiastic and energetic scientists. Our current focus is the hunt for gravitational waves in data from the most sensitive ground-based interferometric detectors. This includes searches for long-lived signals from rapidly-rotating neutron stars, transient signals from the inspiral and coalescence of binary neutron stars and/or black holes, and unmodelled burst signals. Scientists who participate in the Division’s membership in the LIGO Scientific Collaboration will have full access to data from the LIGO, Virgo and
GEO600 detectors. Advances in detector technology make us optimistic that these searches will yield the first detections in the coming 3-5 years, about one century after Einstein predicted the existence of gravitational waves.
Scientists in the division also search for electromagnetic emissions from neutron stars and have discovered many new radio and gamma-ray pulsars.
The group operates the ATLAS computing cluster. With 13000+ CPU cores and 1000+ GPUs, ATLAS is the world’s largest and most powerful computing resource dedicated to gravitational-wave searches and data analysis. The division also helps to operate Einstein@Home, a volunteer distributed computing project which uses computing power donated by the general public to search for gravitational waves and electromagnetic emission from neutron stars.
All application materials, including a cover letter, a CV with a list of publications, and a research statement should be sent to jobs-gw-han[AT]aei.mpg.de. The applicant should also arrange for 2-3 reference letters to be sent to the same email address. Applications will be considered as they arrive, until all positions are filled.
The Max Planck Society is committed to increasing the number of individuals with disabilities in its workforce and to increase the number of women in those areas (such as this) where they are underrepresented. We explicitly encourage applications from such qualified individuals.