Postdoctoral position in galaxy evolution / high-energy astrophysics

We welcome applications for a postdoctoral position at the Paris Institute of Astrophysics (IAP).

The successful applicant will join the ANR-funded project « EVOLVE. Evolutionary tracks of binary neutron stars progenitors: effects on Galactic populations and r-process enrichment »  led by Irina Dvorkin. The goal of the project is to develop a large set of binary neutron star populations and to implement them in a zoom-in simulation of a Milky-Way-like galaxy. New approaches developed in EVOLVE will allow to study the contribution of binary neutron star mergers to early enrichment of the ISM in r-process elements, as well as to model the Galactic population of binary neutron stars.

The successful applicant will lead the development of the zoom-in simulation, including implementation of binary neutron star models and analysis of the results for r-process enrichment. The postdoc will join the « high energy astrophysics » group in IAP and work in close collaboration with Irina Dvorkin and Yohan Dubois. The postdoc will also benefit from interactions with researchers in the “galaxy formation and evolution” group and local experts in numerical simulations, as well as international collaborators.

Previous experience in one or more of the following areas is beneficial but not required: computational astrophysics, simulations and high performance computing, chemical evolution of the Galactic interstellar medium, stellar population synthesis, binary compact objects.

The successful applicant is offered a gross salary between 3 519 and 4 291 Euros per month, depending on previous work experience. A sufficient budget for traveling will also be provided. The project length is expected to be 3 years, with initial appointment for 2 years and an extension for a third year based on performance.

The postdoc is expected to start in October 2025, but starting date remains negotiable.

The IAP is a multi-disciplinary laboratory, working at the forefront of both astrophysics and theoretical physics. The principal areas of research at the IAP are galaxy evolution, large-scale structure, high-energy astrophysics, gravitational-wave astronomy, observational cosmology, physics of the primordial Universe, and extra solar planetary science.