Purple Mountain Observatory (Nanjing) and National Astronomical Observatories of China (Beijing) – Postdocs in Solar Physics and Instrumentation for the ASO-S Mission

The Purple Mountain Observatory (PMO) and the National Astronomical Observatories of China (NAOC), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) invite applicants for immediately available postdoctoral positions in Solar Physics and instrumentation. The positions are related to the Advanced Space-based Solar Observatory (ASO-S) mission and initially for two-year full time employment with a competitive salary commensurate with the applicant’s experience and qualification. An extension for another year is possible depending on the candidate’s performance in the first two years. ASO-S is the first Chinese mission dedicated to solar physics and is scheduled to be launched in 2022. The top-level scientific objective of ASO-S is to explore connections among solar magnetic field, solar flares, CMEs and other solar activities. Please visit aso-s.pmo.ac.cn/english/ for more information about the mission.

PMO is located in the beautiful Nanjing city, which was the capital city of six Dynasties in Chinese history. PMO is the first modern astronomical institute of China and is known as the ‘Cradle of Modern Astronomy in China’. For more information please visit english.pmo.cas.cn The NAOC headquarter is located in Beijing, the capital city of China and very close to the Olympics Park. Please visit www.bao.ac.cn for more information of NAOC. Successful applicants related to LST and HXI will work at PMO and those related to FMG will work at NAOC.

Applicants should hold a PhD in physics, preferentially in solar physics or a related field. Experiences in data analysis and numerical simulation are an asset. The candidates should have a strong programming skill in IDL or Python. Good knowledge of the English language is essential and the candidates should be capable of working both independently and in team. The application should include the CV, list of publications, certificate of the degree, at least two letters of recommendation by professors familiar with the applicants, and a statement of research interests and plan. Other information helpful to know the applicants is also acceptable. Application deadline is October 15, 2018. Applications received after the deadline will be considered only when the positions are still available. The earliest start date could be next January. Applications for LST-related positions should be sent to Dr. Hui Li . Those for HXI related ones to Dr. Yang Su while those for FMG-related to Dr. Yuanyong Deng. All applicants should CC the application materials to Dr. Weiqun Gan.

Description about the positions and their specific requirement are as follows.

  • Position 1 (LST-related): The position is dedicated to study of solar activities, such as solar flares, CMEs, filaments/prominences through data analysis and numerical simulation, with emphasis on emission of these phenomena in the Hydrogen Lyman-alpha line and other UV/EUV lines. The goal is to understand the behaviors of solar activities particularly in the Lyman-alpha line. The successful candidate is expected to develop some models or run some radiative hydrodynamic simulations (e.g., RADYN) to help interpret the Lyman-alpha emission from solar flares, CMEs, filaments/prominences, and the results could be integrated into the data analysis software of the ASO-S mission. Experience in the data analysis of IRIS or SST is very welcomed. Also, strong background in radiative transfer of spectral line and radiative hydrodynamic modeling are favorable for the applicant.
  • Position 2 (LST-related): Scientific preparations and the development of data analysis tools based on coronagraph observations in white light, Lyman-alpha, and other UV/EUV lines. The candidate is expected to study the structures and early evolution of CMEs and their related shocks, prominences, current sheets, etc., via observations and MHD simulations. The data analyses tools written in IDL or python include plasma diagnostics (e.g., density, temperature), data access, image processing and visualization, and the integration of the tools into the data analysis software of ASO-S mission. Backgrounds in the data analyses of SOHO/LASCO, STEREO/SECCHI, SOHO/UVCS and their related radiation theory of white-light and UV emissions are mostly wanted.
  • Position 3 (HXI-related): Scientific research on flare X-ray bursts and the development of data analysis tools for the HXI (Hard X-ray Imager) payload. The successful applicants will work with the HXI team to develop image reconstruction codes for HXI, the HXI analysis software, and the STIX-HXI joint data analysis tool. The research work includes observational and/or theoretical studies of flare X-ray bursts and magnetic reconnection. The main objective is to better understand the an-isotropic processes in acceleration, transportation and X-ray emission of particles. This is the scientific preparation for the first stereo imaging of solar flares in X-rays. The research experiences on high energy solar physics are basically necessary. The candidates with background on the X-ray imaging reconstruction and good knowledge of SSW could take a superiority.
  • Position 4 (HXI-related): Physical simulation and design verification for HXI payloads of ASO-S. During the time of testing before launch and working in orbit, both actual manufacture tolerance and space environment will lead to the performance of HXI deviating ideal design state. The candidate will mainly focus on how all such non-ideal factors affect our instrument performance in simulation studies. The candidate should be familiar with C++ language and have experiences on high energy detector design or related research area. The candidates with good knowledge of Geant4 could take a superiority.
  • Position 5–6 (FMG-related): These positions are aimed to the research and development of the Full-disk vector MagnetoGraph (FMG) onboard ASO-S. FMG is a birefringent filter-based magnetograph, with 14cm diameter, 4K*4K detector. The successful applicants are dedicated along with the scientific preparation, the polarization inversion of magnetic field, and development of magnetograph, etc.