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| Postdoctoral Researcher in Radio Transients (UC-MPIfR-SHAO) | Closing date: 2026-04-19
Contact: Marilyn Cruces |
| We invite applications for a postdoctoral position to work on combined centimetric-millimetric studies of astrophysical transients within the international collaboration around the phased-ALMA mode for time-domain astronomy. The position is funded by an ALMA grant and is based in the Radio Transients Lab led by Prof. M. Cruces at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, in collaboration with the group of Prof. M. Kramer at the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy (MPIfR) and the group of Dr. K. Liu at the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory (SHAO). | | ▸ more | Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (UC) is a leading research university in Chile and Latin America. The university hosts the Institute for Astrophysics and the Astroengineering Center, where research spans theoretical and observational astronomy, instrumentation and space science. The Radio Transients Lab is a Max Planck Partner Group of the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy and currently hosts 20+ members, including graduate students, development engineers, and undergraduate students. The group focuses on the origin of transient radio emission, with particular emphasis on neutron star (NS)-associated phenomena, including fast radio bursts (FRBs), pulsars, and magnetars.
Job description
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A number of fundamental questions remain regarding the radio emission of NS transients. In pulsars and magnetars, it is still unclear how far the radio emission extends toward millimeter wavelengths, whether a spectral turn-up is present, and what this implies about the underlying emission mechanisms. These questions are particularly important for understanding how the radio emission of NSs relates to other classes of transient phenomena, including FRBs, and whether their emission also extends into the millimeter regime.
What we expect from you
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The successful candidate will analyse and disseminate results from observations of transient sources obtained with the phased ALMA (PAM) mode plus the centimetric follow-up. The ALMA data consist of time-domain and spectral observations acquired during several observing campaigns. The analysis will involve single-pulse and periodicity searches, timing, characterization of the emission, as well as searches for narrowband spectral features. The candidate will contribute to the development and improvement of processing and calibration pipelines aimed at streamlining PAM observations and making this observing mode more accessible to the community.
The postdoctoral researcher is expected to carry out extended research visits at the partner institutes, MPIfR and SHAO.
Requirement
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- A PhD in astronomy, physics, computer science, or a related fields by the appointment date (May/June 2026)
Necessary skills
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- Prior experience in radio astronomy in either (1) time-domain observations or (2) spectroscopy. If experience in one of these areas is missing, a strong commitment to promptly acquire the necessary expertise is expected. Training opportunities can be arranged
- Strong proficiency and experience in programming, particularly in Python
- Strong proficiency in spoken and written English
- Enthusiasm for working in international teams
Desired skills
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- Experience working with computer clusters
- Experience applying machine learning methods to data
- Willingness to supervise graduate students
What we offer
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- Funding for 2 years, with the possibility of extension based on mutual agreement and funding availability
- Competitive remuneration based on the ALMA-ANID funding scheme, including healthcare coverage
- Competitive vacation allowance and paid annual leave
- Travel funding for national and international conferences
- Opportunities for extended research visits at MPIfR and SHAO
How to apply
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Interested and qualified individuals are encouraged to submit the following documents:
- Curriculum vitae including links to publications. Maximum 3 pages, filename: CV_Lastname.pdf
- Research statement. Maximum 2 pages, filename: Research_Lastname.pdf
- At least two letters of recommendation, to be sent directly by the referees
The application and recommendation letters should be sent to rtlab.secretary @ gmail.com before 12:00 UTC on April 19, 2026. Applications will be reviewed until the position is filled. After submission, shortlisted applicants will go through an online interview process before selecting the most suitable candidate. We expect the selection process to be completed by the end of April 2026.
Contact
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Prospective applicants can contact Prof. M. Cruces (mscruces @ uc.cl) for further details.
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