Contact: david.wiltshire[AT]canterbury.ac.nzLocation: Christchurch, NZ
We welcome applications for a 3-year postdoctoral fellowship in the UC Gravity and Cosmology Group. The project is titled: Changing the face of the Universe – Cosmological simulations from first principles in general relativity. It is funded by a Marsden grant administered by the Royal Society Te Apārangi (RSNZ).
The project will explore foundational theoretical concepts at the interface of mathematical relativity, numerical relativity, quantum cosmology and observational cosmology. This interface will be used to critically and rigorously test hypotheses underlying an emerging paradigm shift. Will cosmological models with backreaction of inhomogenities resolve the observed tensions and anomalies now being uncovered in the new data-driven era of multimessenger astronomy? Asking these questions in a framework more general than the standard cosmology, this project aims to add key ingredients to help define fundamental physics in the 21st century and beyond.
You will need to have a PhD in mathematical / theoretical physics and have already begun to establish your research in theoretical cosmology, as demonstrated by recent, high-quality publications in international journals. We seek a candidate with deep analytic skills in general relativity, from first-principles theoretical versatility, and an appetite for understanding the results of large numerical relativity simulations in computational cosmology.
The UC Gravity and Cosmology group resides in both the Schools of Physical and Chemical Sciences | Te Kura Matu and Mathematics and Statistics | Te Kura Pangarau, a thriving community with a legacy spanning 150 years of academic excellence. Our own faculty – Prof. David Wiltshire, Dr Chris Stevens, Emeritus Professor Roy Kerr – interact with UC colleagues in astronomy, particle astrophysics, space physics, geometry, dynamical systems, statistics and data science. We are also members of the New Zealand Astrostatistics and General Relativity Working Group.
We have access to a brand new dedicated High-Performance Computing (HPC) cluster, which has been optimized for very large numerical relativity simulations using the Einstein Toolkit. In addition, the New Zealand e-Science Infrastructure (NeSI) can be used for larger simulations, as well as HPC facilities of our collaborators overseas. Dr Hayley Macpherson (Chicago), Prof. Thomas Buchert (ENS, Lyon) and Prof. Krzysztof Bolejko (Tasmania) are project collaborators.
At the University of Canterbury we are committed to accessible higher education, service to the community and the encouragement of talent without barriers of distance, wealth, class, gender or ethnicity. The University explicitly aims to produce graduates and support staff who are engaged with their communities, empowered to act for good and determined to make a difference in the world.
CLOSING DATE: Tuesday, 16th January 2024 (23:59 NZDT = 10:59 GMT). Please note, applications may be reviewed as they are received.
APPLICATIONS: must be submitted on our careers website using the APPLY button and should include:
* a cover letter which includes a research statement of 1-3 pages outlining your background, suitability for the position, noting your expertise and your plans for adapting your skills to the project;
* a CV, including any publications;
* contact details, including email addresses of three referees. We will contact referees of those candidates who best fit the project. Please do not include letters of reference with your application.
INFORMAL ENQUIRIES may be addressed to Prof. David Wiltshire, email david.wiltshire [AT] canterbury.ac.nz. Please subject the email ‘Postdoctoral fellow in theoretical cosmology’. Please note applications sent directly to this email address will not be accepted.
To apply, and for more information, please follow this link:
https://jobs.canterbury.ac.nz/jobdetails/ajid/9rXW8/Post-Doctoral-Fellow-in-Cosmology,18052