Postdoctoral Researcher in Radio Stars and Exoplanets

Postdoctoral Researcher in Radio Stars and Exoplanets

ASTRON - Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy

Dwingeloo, Netherlands

€ 4.552 - € 5.758 per month gross

A central question in exoplanet science is whether planets around other stars experience environments capable of supporting and retaining atmospheres. Stellar magnetic fields, coronal mass ejections and other forms of space weather can strongly influence these environments. Radio observations provide a powerful and relatively unexplored way to directly probe these phenomena.

The project aims to use radio emission from nearby stars and exoplanetary systems to understand stellar space weather, magnetic activity and star–planet interactions, ultimately helping determine the environments experienced by nearby exoplanets.

The position

The candidate will have substantial freedom to shape their research according to their expertise. Possible research directions include:

• detecting and characterising stellar and exoplanetary radio emission using LOFAR, MeerKAT and other radio facilities;
• modelling stellar magnetospheres, coherent radio emission, coronal mass ejections and/or magnetic star–planet interactions (SPI);
• using Zeeman–Doppler Imaging (ZDI) or other spectropolarimetric measurements to determine stellar magnetic-field geometries and connect them to radio emission and space weather;
• Determining the presence of exoplanets via traditional exoplanet detection methods (radial velocity, transits etc.) of radio detected systems.

We do not expect candidates to have expertise in all of these areas. We particularly encourage applications from researchers with a strong background in radio astronomy, stellar/SPI magnetospheric modelling, exoplanet science, stellar activity, or ZDI/stellar magnetism measurements.

The postdoctoral researcher will join a growing research programme on radio stars, exoplanets and stellar space weather spanning ASTRON and the Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy at the University of Amsterdam. The project is closely connected to the ERC-funded Epaphus programme and provides opportunities to collaborate with an international network of researchers working across radio astronomy, stellar physics and exoplanet science.

ASTRON operates LOFAR and the Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope, participates in the European VLBI Network, and is closely involved in the development and commissioning of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA). Therefore, the candidate will have access to world leading radio astronomy instruments in this position.

Applicants should have

• a PhD in astronomy, astrophysics, physics or a related discipline by the start of the position;
• research experience in one of: radio astronomy; stellar activity or magnetism; star–planet interaction or space weather modelling; exoplanet science; radio transient science; or ZDI/spectropolarimetry;
• a demonstrated ability to conduct and publish independent research;
• the ability to work effectively within an international collaborative team;
• good written and spoken English.

Experience with low-frequency radio astronomy, polarimetry, stellar magnetic fields modelling, coherent radio emission, or magnetospheric/MHD modelling would be advantageous but is not required.

The candidate will be expected to lead scientific projects, publish and present their results, collaborate with other members of the research group, and contribute to the supervision of students. There will also be scope to pursue complementary independent research, particularly in transient science.