Postdoctoral Research Associate in Dark Matter

About the Role

We are seeking a Postdoctoral Research Associate to join our vibrant research-active community of Swinburne’s Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing and work with Professors Darren Croton, Alan Duffy, and/or Jeremy Mould, as part of the Australian Research Council’s Centre of Excellence for Dark Matter Particle Physics (CDM), located at its Swinburne University of Technology node in Melbourne, Australia.

As the Postdoctoral Research Associate, you will bring your research expertise to one of three priority areas of the CDM at Swinburne:

1. Computational/theoretical astrophysics: including using N-body/hydrodynamical and/or (semi-) analytical models to understand the nature of dark matter on astrophysical scales, and its impact on the evolution of the Universe and the galaxies, baryons, and structures within it.
2. Observational dark matter discovery: including using data from microlensing to explore primordial black hole dark matter, or more broadly, ground and space-based observatories that may offer a breakthrough in our understanding of the nature of dark matter.
3. Experimental dark matter direct detection: including contributing to WIMP-like nuclear recoil experiments with SABRE, axion detection efforts with ORGAN/ADMX, and/or high energy cosmic-ray based searches for identifying decay products of ultra-high mass dark matter.

As part of your role, you will seek to bridge across to other areas of dark matter research, making connections within the CDM and Swinburne to uncover new knowledge and create opportunities for new research directions.

Centre information

The Centre of Excellence for Dark Matter Particle Physics (CDM) is an Australian Research Council supported 7-year multi-node research initiative that commenced operations in early 2019. The CDM is led by Professor Elisabetta Barberio, an expert in the search for dark matter, and represents the co-operation of physicists from across Australia, in partnership with key international researchers and institutions, to pursue the discovery and understanding of the nature of dark matter.

This is a major boost to Australia’s capacity in dark matter research and provides a solid foundation for consolidating our capabilities and expertise, not only in astrophysical, theoretical, and experimental topics immediately connected to the investigation of dark matter, but also in many related scientific, medical, and engineering topics.

Over 20 postdoctoral and technical positions have been created at Swinburne and its partner organisations: the University of Melbourne (led by Nicole Bell), the Australian National University (led by Cedric Simenel), the University of Adelaide (led by Tony Williams), the University of Western Australia (led by Michael Tobar), and the University of Sydney (led by Celine Boehm). Depending on the interests of the selected candidate, the position will form part of the wider CDM Theory project team with connections across both the astrophysics and detection programs.

In addition to fundamental research, the CDM undertakes a vigorous outreach agenda that includes working with students from low socio-economic areas and encouraging the participation of minorities and underrepresented communities in science at all levels. The CDM pursues research translation and commercialisation opportunities, generating opportunities for staff to experience secondments to industry during their postdoctoral terms.

About You

To be suitable for this role you will need to have experience in the below key accountabilities:

• A demonstrated high level of excellence in your research area as evidenced by publications and/or technical skills and/or other relevant metrics your field ascribes value to.
• Experience generating and working with simulation data and/or observational data and/or experimental data.
• Demonstrated computational skills relevant to your field of expertise.
• Demonstrated professionalism, resourcefulness, and initiative.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and as part of a team.

Qualifications

• A PhD in physics/astrophysics, with research interests and experience in one (or more) of computational/theoretical astrophysics, observational dark matter discovery, and experimental dark matter direct detection.