Contact: ddebord[AT]illinois.eduLocation: Urbana, IL, USA
The Illinois gravitational and nuclear groups at the Department of Physics of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign invites applications for a postdoctoral research fellow position with a focus on gravitational waves, data analysis and the nuclear equation of state. The appointment is to commence in Fall 2025 and last for a two-year term with a potential extension to a third year. The postdoctoral fellowship is intended for work on cutting-edge topics in gravitational waves, including their modeling and use to extract nuclear physics from current and future gravitational-wave signals obtained by ground-based (advanced LIGO/Virgo/KAGRA) detectors, used in combination with other electromagnetic observations (e.g. NICER).
The successful candidate should have strengths in one or more of the following physics topics: Bayesian parameter estimation and model selection through matched filtering of actual data and of (simulated) synthetic data, AI/ML emulators and their use in data analysis, strong computational skills as applied to physics research, gravitational wave modeling of neutron star binaries in post-Newtonian theory, and nuclear astrophysics with an emphasis on the equation of state of dense matter. Moreover, the successful candidate must demonstrate research experience and creativity, breadth and depth of knowledge, high productivity and high quality publications, and mastery of written and oral communication. A Ph.D in physics is required by the start of employment.
The successful candidate will join Professors Nico Yunes and Jaki Noronha-Hostler and their large research groups (including 25 graduate students and 5 other postdoctoral researchers) in the study of the intersection between extreme gravity and extreme matter. In particular, the successful candidate will join the MUSES Collaboration (https://musesframework.io/), which has strong connections with the National Center for Supercomputing Applications and its Center for Astrophysical Surveys. The successful candidate will also become a member of the Illinois Relativity Group (which also includes composed of Professor Stu Shapiro, Associate Professor Helvi Witek, Assistant Professor Hector Okada-Da Silva, Research Professor Antonios Tsokaros, and Research Professor Elena Koptieva) and the Illinois Nuclear Theory Group (which also includes Professor Jorge Noronha). The successful candidate will also become a member of the Illinois Center for Advanced Studies of the Universe (ICASU), with access to its many resources and interactions with its many other faculty members.
Interested candidates will submit an application which must include the following separate documents: cover letter, curriculum vitae, list of publications, with a summary of total papers published, number of citations to papers and h-index as determined by the Inspire search engine, list of presentations given outside of the candidate’s research group, brief research statement (3-page limit, 1-inch margins, 12 pt font), and three letters of recommendation.
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