Job description

Four positions as PhD Research Fellow in Solar Physics are available at the Rosseland Centre for Solar Physics, Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics.

The fellowships period is up to 4 years, with 3 years devoted to research education. For some positions, the fourth year is optional, and, if selected, entails a compulsory work load of 25% that consists of teaching and supervision duties and research assistance.

No one can be appointed for more than one PhD Research Fellowship period at the University of Oslo.

Starting date no later than 01.10.2019.

More about the positions

The four positions 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, are 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 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 satellites such as NASA’s IRIS and SDO, JAXA’s Hinode and in the near future ESA’s Solar Orbiter. The group utilizes strongly local and national High-Performance Computing facilities.

RoCS, and with it the solar physics group at the University of Oslo, is known world-wide for its expertise in numerical simulations and observations of the solar atmosphere and thus offers an attractive work environment and access to world-class computational and observational infrastructure.

Each PhD position is associated with one specific research project, as summarised below. Candidates may apply to one, several or (preferably) all of these positions through a single application, and should rank the positions in order of their preference in the cover letter. All applications will be reviewed in a joint selection process, taking into account the stated preferences of each candidate.

The available positions are dedicated to the following projects:

1) EMISSA, supervised by Sven Wedemeyer. The position is connected to the project “Exploring Millimeter Indicators of Solar-Stellar Activity” (EMISSA), which is funded by the Research Council of Norway (2019 – 2023). The aim of the EMISSA project is to use the Atacama Large Millimeter/sub-millimeter Array (ALMA) for a re-evaluation of the activity of stars by means of a comparative solar-stellar study with the Sun serving as a fundamental reference. A sequence of state-of-the-art 3D computer models of the outer layers of stars including the Sun will be used to prepare and interpret new observations of the Sun and a selected sample of other stars obtained with ALMA and other observatories. This approach promises a new view on the activity of the Sun and other stars and the physical processes causing it.

The EMISSA project will benefit from synergies with the ERC-funded SolarALMA team at Oslo and an ESO-funded ALMA Development Study in co-operation with Onsala Space Observatory, Sweden. Including the EMISSA project, the team working on solar/stellar ALMA science in Oslo will consist of 3 researchers/post-docs, 3 PhD fellows and the project leader Sven Wedemeyer.The successful candidate would work on numerical simulations of stellar atmospheres (incl. the Sun) with particular emphasis on radiative transfer calculations but also on the processing and analysis of observations with ALMA in co-operation with the Solar ALMA team at RoCS and with international collaborators.

2) WHOLE SUN. The project is connected to the ERC Synergy grant “Whole Sun Project: Untangling the complex physical mechanisms behind our eruptive magnetic star and its twins”, a collaboration between RoCS and Commissariat a l’Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives, Paris, France, Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, Göttingen, Germany, University of St. Andrews, Scotland, UK and Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, Tenerife, Spain. The main supervisor will be from RoCS and a secondary supervisor from one of the collaborating partners. The WHOLE SUN project attempts to link the eruptive phenomena observed in the solar atmosphere to the motions of plasma deep in the interior of the Sun, where its magnetic field is generated.

3) RoCS. This is a general PhD position with a project within any of the activities of the centre.

4) PhD position supervised by Tiago Pereira. This position will focus on achieving a deeper understanding of the complex and dynamic observations of the solar atmosphere. This will be achieved by combining state-of-the-art numerical simulations with detailed observations captured by ground-based and space-borne telescopes. The goal of the project is to provide unique physical insight into the observations of dynamic phenomena captured by the current and next generation of solar telescopes.A successful candidate will leverage advanced radiative transfer methods and cutting-edge image and spectral processing techniques. She/he will gain experience in the analysis and visualisation of very large datasets and make use of data science technologies such as machine learning and out-of-core algorithms. These big data techniques will enable a successful candidate to acquire a range of skills that are highly relevant not just in astrophysics but for industry in general.

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.

• Master’s degree or equivalent in astronomy/astrophysics or a related discipline.
• Foreign completed degree (M.Sc.-level) corresponding to a minimum of four years in the Norwegian educational system
• Candidates without a Master’s degree have until 30 June, 2019 to complete the final exam
• Documented English proficiency (minimum scores: TOEFL: 90, IELTS: 6.5, PTE Academic: 62, or Certificate in Advanced English (CAE) and Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE)). The following applicants are exempt: EU/EEA countries, applicants with one year of completed university studies in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, UK, USA, applicants with International Baccalaureate (IB) diplomas, applicants who have completed their bachelor's and/or master's degree with English as the language of instruction in one of the Nordic countries or the Netherlands. Applications lacking such documentation of English skills will not be processed.

Grade requirements:

The norm is as follows:

• the average grade point for courses included in the Bachelor’s degree must be C or better in the Norwegian educational system
• the average grade point for courses included in the Master’s degree must be B or better in the Norwegian educational system
• the Master’s thesis must have the grade B or better in the Norwegian educational system
• fluent oral and written communication skills in English

http://www.mn.uio.no/english/research/phd/application/application.html

We offer

• Salary NOK 449 400 – 505 800 per annum depending on qualifications and seniority as PhD Research Fellow, (position code 1017)
• Attractive welfare benefits and a generous pension agreement, in addition to Oslo’s family-friendly environment with its rich opportunities for culture and outdoor activities
• Vibrant international academic environment
• Oslo’s family-friendly surroundings with their rich opportunities for culture and outdoor activities

How to apply

The application must include:

• Cover letter. Statement of motivation and research interests. Important: Include a ranked order of preference for the positions.
• CV (summarizing education, positions and academic work - scientific publications)
• Copies of the original Master’s degree diploma, transcripts of records and letters of recommendation
• Documentation of English proficiency
• List of publications and academic work that the applicant wishes to be considered by the evaluation committee
• Names and contact details of 2-3 references (name, relation to candidate, e-mail and telephone number). In addition, arrange for each of the references to submit their letters to Prof. Hans Kristian Eriksen (chair of cosmology section, h.k.k.eriksen@astro.uio.no) before the deadline.
• For relevant positions, attach a transcript of a self-written computer program. Link to a GitHub repository or similar is welcome.

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).

Applicants may be called in for an interview.

Formal regulations

Please see the guidelines and regulations for appointments to Research Fellowships at the University of Oslo.

The purpose of the fellowship is research training leading to the successful completion of a PhD degree.

The fellowship requires admission to the PhD program at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. The application to the PhD program must be submitted to the department no later than two months after taking up the position. For more information see:

http://www.mn.uio.no/english/research/phd/

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 appointment may be shortened/given a more limited scope within the framework of the applicable guidelines on account of any previous employment in academic positions.

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

Contact information

For further information, please contact the respective contact persons:

• Sven Wedemeyer (sven.wedemeyer@astro.uio.no) (EMISSA)
• Mats Carlsson (mats.carlsson@astro.uio.no) (RoCS, WHOLE SUN)
• Tiago Pereira (tiago.pereira@astro.uio.no)

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

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