Stilling:

Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Plasma and Space Physics

Deadline 15.11.2018

University of Oslo

The University of Oslo is Norway’s oldest and highest rated institution of research and education with 28 000 students and 7000 employees. Its broad range of academic disciplines and internationally esteemed research communities make UiO an important contributor to society.

The research at the Department covers a broad range of subfields within physics and technology: From space research to medical physics. A good proportion of the research is interdisciplinary, and conducted in close cooperation with collaborators in Norway and abroad. Education and teaching are other essential activities. We offer a broad range of courses, and the Department is involved in several study programmes at bachelor’s and master’s level. Some of the best lecturers in Norway are amongst our employees, and we are proud of our prizewinning teaching and learning environment. The Department has 200 employees, of which 50 are permanent scientific positions. On a yearly basis 20 students complete their Ph.D. and 50 finish their M.Sc. degree.

About the position

One position as Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Plasma and Space Physics is available at the Department of Physics.

The post doc fellowship is for a period of 3 years. Within the framework of the position, duties may be assigned. Starting date preferably no later than 01.01.2019.

Job description/ Project description

The main purpose of post-doctoral research fellowships is to qualify researchers for work in top academic positions within their disciplines.

The successful candidate will be a part of Section for Plasma and Space Physics at The Department of Physics as well as the 4DSpace Strategic Research Initiative. The main focus of these groups is to advance our understanding of ionospheric plasma processes at high latitudes including plasma instabilities and turbulence. The groups also work towards assessing the impact of space weather effects on technological systems (such as GPS) at high latitudes. The main tools used are advanced numerical models (mainly particle-in-cell codes), ground-based radar and optical systems (EISCAT, SuperDARN, all-sky-imagers), instruments on board spacecraft (Swarm, NorSat-1), and in situ measurements carried out by sounding rockets (the ICI-rocket series). For more information, see:

http://www.mn.uio.no/fysikk/english/research/projects/4dspace/ and http://www.mn.uio.no/fysikk/english/research/projects/grand-challenge-initiative-cusp/index.html

Over the next years, the 4DSpace team will be involved in several rocket launches into the polar ionosphere. All of these rockets will during the flight eject small subpayloads, which will for the first time make multi-point observations of the ionospheric plasma density at unprecedented spatial resolution. These unique data will facilitate the search for dispersion relations at different scales, as well as the multi-scale mapping of turbulent structures.

The successful candidate will work in a team of scientists on a development of new data analysis techniques for multi-point measurements of plasma density by a rocket and its sub-payloads. The candidate will then apply these techniques to data from rocket experiments to study irregularities and turbulence in the cusp F region ionosphere. The in-situ results will also be compared with advanced numerical models. Due to its novel approach, it is expected that this project will to lead to several major advances in the field of ionospheric turbulence.

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.

Required qualifications:

  • A Ph.D. degree (or obtaining the Ph.D. degree before the start of the contract) or equivalent.
  • Experience in data analysis from in-situ plasma measurements, preferably with sounding rockets or another spacecraft.
  • Strong background in plasma physics.
  • Good programming skills for advanced data analysis techniques.
  • A good command of English

Desired qualifications:

The candidate is expected to take part in our rocket and spacecraft missions, and should preferably have some experience with plasma waves, instabilities, and/or turbulence. Experience from development of new data analysis tools for in-situ measurements of space plasmas and/or from performing and analyzing large-scale numerical simulations will be considered as an asset.

We offer

  • Salary NOK 515 200 – 597 400 per annum depending on qualifications in position as Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (position code 1352)
  • 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

How to apply

The application must include:

  • Cover letter (statement of motivation, summarizing scientific work and research interests)
  • CV (summarizing education, positions, pedagogical experience, administrative experience and other qualifying activity)
  • Copies of educational certificates, academic transcript of records and letters of recommendation
  • A complete list of publications and up to 5 academic works 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)

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).

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.

No one can be appointed as Postdoctoral Fellow for more than one specified period 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

  • Professor Jøran Moen, e-mail j.i.moen@fys.uio.no, phone + 47 22 85 64 30 or
  • Associate Professor Wojciech Miloch, e-mail: w.j.miloch@fys.uio.no, phone + 47 22 85 60 14

For technical questions regarding the recruitment system, please contact HR Officer Therese Ringvold, e-mail: therese.ringvold@mn.uio.no, phone: +47 22 85 16 06.

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