Postdoctoral Research Associate – PRIMA Detectors, Department of Astronomy
About The Position
The University of Virginia’s Department of Astronomy is hiring a Postdoctoral Research Associate to characterize kinetic inductance detector (KID) arrays for the FIRESS instrument on PRIMA, a far-infrared NASA Astrophysics Probe recently selected for Phase B. PRIMA will use ultrasensitive arrays of thousands of KIDs to support research into water and the formation of exoplanets, the masses and abundances of materials in protoplanetary disks, the coevolution of star formation and supermassive black hole growth, and the buildup of dust in galaxies and its relationship to metallicity. The associate will work in a new laboratory in the Astronomy Department at UVA, testing detector arrays, analyzing test data, and maintaining and operating the detector testbed. The role also includes participating in group and collaboration meetings and preparing results for reports, publications, and conference presentations. The successful applicant will work closely with detector fabrication and PRIMA teams at JPL and Goddard Space Flight Center, as well as graduate and undergraduate students at UVA. This is a one-year appointment that may be renewed for an additional year, contingent on available funding and satisfactory performance. The position is based in Charlottesville, Virginia, and must be performed fully on-site in a laboratory setting.
Requirements
- Doctoral degree in Physics, Astronomy, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
Nice To Haves
- Experience with sub-Kelvin cryogenics.
- Experience with far-infrared to millimeter-wave detectors.
- Experience with detector readout electronics.
Responsibilities
- Test detector arrays.
- Analyze detector test data.
- Maintain and operate the detector testbed.
- Participate in group and collaboration meetings.
- Prepare results for reports, publications, and conference presentations.
- Work closely with detector fabrication and PRIMA teams at JPL and Goddard Space Flight Center, and with graduate and undergraduate students at UVA.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
Education Level
Ph.D. or professional degree
