Job description

Two positions as Postdoctoral Research Fellow available at the Rosseland Centre for Solar Physics (RoCS) at the Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics (ITA).

No one can be appointed for more than one Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the University of Oslo. Starting date upon agreement but not later than Oct 1st, 2022.

The appointment is a fulltime position and is made for a period of up to three years (10% of which is devoted to required duties, usually in the form of teaching activities).

More about the position

The postdoctoral fellowships are connected to the Rosseland Centre for Solar Physics (RoCS) funded by the Research Council of Norway and the University of Oslo from November 1st, 2017. The primary goal of RoCS 10-year effort lies in understanding the workings of the energetic Sun. To attack this goal a concerted effort of numerical modelling, both fluid (extended MHD) and particle oriented, will be combined with high quality observations taken at ground based and space-based observatories to produce models of the active Sun. The Solar group at the ITA is presently led by Mats Carlsson, who is also the leader of RoCS.

The group has an internationally leading competence in radiative transfer and radiative hydrodynamics. Observationally, the group has access to the Swedish 1-meter Solar Telescope on La Palma, to ALMA, to several space-based satellites such as NASA’s IRIS and SDO, JAXA’s Hinode and ESA’s Solar Orbiter. The group makes extensive use of local and national High-Performance Computing facilities. With the RoCS centre of excellence, the Solar group is expanding significantly.

The available positions are dedicated to the following projects:

● ISSRESS. The project is connected to the project "Impact of small-scale reconnection events on the solar atmosphere" funded by the Research Council of Norway (project PI Luc Rouppe van der Voort). This project aims to understand the origin and formation of small-scale magnetic reconnection events in the lower solar atmosphere and explore their role in the energy and mass transport from the lower to the upper solar atmosphere. This will be done through analysis of coordinated observations from NASA's IRIS satellite and the Swedish 1-m Solar Telescope on La Palma and through comparison with numerical models.

Project-specific requirements:

Experience with methods in machine-learning will be considered an advantage.

● ORCS. The 3-year postdoctoral fellowship is connected to the project “ORCS: Oscillations in the Realistic Corona of the Sun” funded by the Research Council of Norway (project PI: Petra Kohutova). The primary goal of the project is to provide insight into the generation, evolution and dissipation of oscillations in the structured and dynamical solar corona. This will be done by combining high-resolution solar observations and large-scale numerical simulations. The successful candidate will tackle the observational part of the project, which will involve the analysis of observations from space-based and ground-based solar observatories, including the observations from the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope, to identify observational signatures of wave excitation and dissipation mechanisms. The candidate will further develop tools to be able to compare such solar observations with the output from numerical simulations run with the in-house Bifrost code.

Project-specific requirements:

Background in MHD wave theory or experience with the analysis of wave observations will be considered an advantage.

The main purpose of a postdoctoral fellowship is to provide the candidates with enhanced skills to pursue a scientific top position within or beyond academia. To promote a strategic career path, all postdoctoral research fellows are required to submit a professional development plan no later than one month after commencement of the postdoctoral period.

Qualification requirements

The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences has a strategic ambition of being a leading research faculty. Candidates for these fellowships will be selected in accordance with this and expected to be in the upper segment of their class with respect to academic credentials.

• Applicants must hold a degree equivalent to a Norwegian doctoral degree in astronomy, astrophysics or a related field. Appointment is dependent on the defense of the doctoral thesis being approved, if it has not been held by the application deadline.
• We seek a candidate with a background preferably in solar or stellar physics, who has experience with the analysis of observations incl. the handling of large data sets.
• Programming experience in Python/IDL, C/C++ or Fortran is essential.
• Fluent oral and written communication skills in English.

We offer

• Salary NOK 534 400 – 615 800 per annum depending on seniority in position as Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (position code 1352)
• Personal travel funds
• Excellent computer infrastructure
• Attractive welfare benefits and a generous pension agreement
• Professionally stimulating working environment
• Vibrant international academic environment
• Postdoctoral development programmes
• Oslo’s family-friendly surroundings with their rich opportunities for cultural and outdoor activities

How to apply

The application must in include:

• Cover letter (statement of motivation, summarizing scientific work and research interest)
• A short (1-2 page) statement on how the applicant envisions to carry out research within a project
• CV (summarizing education, positions, pedagogical experience, administrative experience and other qualifying activity)
• Copies of educational certificates, academic transcript of records
• A complete list of publications
• Names and contact details of 2-3 references (name, relation to candidate, e-mail and telephone number)

The application with attachments must be delivered in our electronic recruiting system, please follow the link “Apply for this job”. Foreign applicants are advised to attach an explanation of their university’s grading system. Please note that all documents should be in English (or a Scandinavian language). In assessing the applications, special emphasis will be placed on the documented academic qualifications, the research statement, as well as the candidate’s motivation and personal suitability. Interviews with the best qualified candidates will be arranged.

Formal regulations

Please see the guidelines and regulations for appointments to Postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Oslo.

According to the Norwegian Freedom and Information Act (Offentleglova) information about the applicant may be included in the public applicant list, also in cases where the applicant has requested non-disclosure.

The University of Oslo has an agreement for all employees, aiming to secure rights to research results etc.

The University of Oslo aims to achieve a balanced gender composition in the workforce and to recruit people with ethnic minority backgrounds.

Contact information

• Luc Rouppe van der Voort: rouppe@astro.uio.no
• Petra Kohutova: petra.kohutova@astro.uio.no

For technical questions regarding the recruitment system, please contact HR Adviser Elin Thoresen, e-mail: elin.thoresen@mn.uio.no, phone +47 22 85 71 96.

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