Postdoctoral position on confronting high-redshift JWST observations with cosmological simulations

We welcome applications for a postdoc position at the Centre de Recherche Astrophysique de Lyon (CRAL), working on the convergence of high-redshift galaxy observations and simulations.

The successful applicant will join the ANR  project ‘Unveiling the hidden population of galaxies from Cosmic Dawn to Cosmic Reionization’ led by Hakim Atek at the Paris Institute of Astrophysics (IAP) and Joki Rosdahl at CRAL. We aim to combine the large JWST observational programme GLIMPSE, obtaining the deepest ever observations of the sky, with the SPHINX cosmological simulations, in order to understand how the first galaxies formed, evolved, and reionized the Universe.

The postdoc will participate in the production of a large catalog of mock-observations of simulated galaxies, with observational parameters tuned to match JWST instruments. A paired analysis methodology will be developed for matching simulated and observed galaxies and through that assessing the physical properties of the observed counterparts. The postdoc will additionally participate in the development and analysis of new cosmological simulations of the first galaxies and reionization.

We are looking for a young researcher who has recently finished his/her PhD in astrophysics. It is beneficial to have experience with observations and/or the analysis of large simulations. The postdoc will be part of the Galpac team at Lyon Observatory, consisting of about 20 observers and theorists working on galaxy evolution. Locally, the postdoc will collaborate with Joki Rosdahl and Jeremy Blaizot, who are experts in performing and analyzing simulations. The project will be done in close collaboration with our partners in Paris (Atek, Dubois, Furtak, and others) and frequent travel between the two nodes is expected. If desired, there will be opportunities for the postdoc to pursue personal lines of research, preferentially related to the main project.

The starting date is negotiable but can be as early as March 2025.

Lyon is the third-largest city in France and its gastronomical capital. The city is well connected to the rest of the world via an international airport and is a major hub on the French train network. In about two hours, depending on the direction taken, one can enjoy skiing in the Alps, swimming in the Mediterranean, or manifesting in Paris.