Postdoctoral position on Extreme Precision Radial Velocity at Geneva
Applications are invited for a postdoctoral position within the Geneva exoplanet team to work on optimisation of radial velocity extraction in the context of the BLUVES project. The goal of BLUVES is to develop a reliable laser frequency comb for blue part of visible high-precision spectrographs. The goal is to explore and compare all the different approaches of optimal spectroscopic extraction, wavelength solution and radial velocity measurement. Several challenges exist to extract and to measure Doppler signal at the level of only few cm/s. Several pipelines were already developed at the Geneva Observatory for CORALIE, SOPHIE, HARPS, HARPS-N, ESPRESSO, and more recently NIRPS spectrographs. The goal will be to go a step further in the data reduction software in order to integrate all the state-of-the-art recent developments, to prepare all the recipes to ingest and reduce laser frequency comb spectra, and to investigate all the sources of errors which may introduce radial velocity changes at the level of 10 cm/s. The postdoc will have access to all the data obtained with these above-mentioned spectrographs in order to re-reduce some observations with different approaches. The postdoc will also be in charge to define, to prepare and to conduct the astronomical tests of a new generation laser frequency comb that will be performed on ESPRESSO@VLT and to set up all the analysis tools needed to reduced data and to interpret them.
The successful candidate will have ample opportunitiy to collaborate within the Swiss research network for planetary sciences PlanetS (http://nccr-planets.ch/) which presents a vibrant research environment with a wide range of activities including theory, numerical simulations, observations and instrumental developments related to exoplanets. The exoplanet team at the University of Geneva (https://www.unige.ch/sciences/astro/exoplanets/en/) is renown for its strong involvement in planet detection, the determination of the planet physical properties, the characterisation of planetary atmospheres, and the development of an associated world-class instrumentation.
Applicants are expected to have completed a PhD in Astronomy or Astrophysics or expect to complete it by the start of the position. Applicants are also expected to have experience in observation, data reduction and analysis, especially related to high-precision radial velocity. The duration of the appointment is for four years. This position is funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation with a gross salary around 80,000 CHF a year. The position is available immediately and to be started at latest on 1 December 2020. Interested candidates should contact Prof. François Bouchy at the University of Geneva. Applications should be sent via email to francois.bouchy@unige.ch and contain (in a singe pdf file) 1) curriculum vitae, 2) list of publications, 3) a short research statement describing past achievements and future projects (max. 2 pages) and arrange for two letters of recommendation to be sent before 31 August 2020.
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