- JOB
- Greece
Job Information
- Organisation/Company
- University of Crete
- Department
- Research Commitee (ELKE)
- Research Field
- Physics
- Researcher Profile
- First Stage Researcher (R1)
- Positions
- PhD Positions
- Country
- Greece
- Application Deadline
- Type of Contract
- Temporary
- Job Status
- Full-time
- Hours Per Week
- 40
- Offer Starting Date
- Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?
- Horizon Europe - MSCA
- Reference Number
- HORIZON-MSCA-2023-DN-01-01
- Marie Curie Grant Agreement Number
- 101168906
- Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?
- No
Offer Description
The TALES doctorate network in a nutshell
The offered PhD position is part of the TALES (Time-domain Analysis to study the Life-cycle and Evolution of Supermassive black holes) Doctorate Network, a consortium of 10 astrophysics research groups, 8 industrial and 4 academic partners spread across Europe that aims to study the feeding and feedback cycle of supermassive black holes. The TALES doctorate candidates will (i) leverage time-domain astronomy observations from state-of-the-art facilities to map the environment in the close vicinity of supermassive black holes, (ii) use novel analysis methods from the discipline of data science to maximise the information gain from the observations and (iii) develop new theories and models to interpret the data and learn about the physics of the life-cycle of black holes at the centres of galaxies. Parallel to the core research activities above, TALES aspires to implement an ambitious training programme on both technical and complementary skills that is tailored to the needs of the doctorate candidates and includes secondments to industrial and/or academic partners as well as specialised lectures and science communication events.
The Specific Doctoral Project:
It is currently thought that AGN are powered by accretion of matter to a supermassive black hole that resides at the center of almost all galaxies. The accretion disc emission cannot account for the strong X-ray emission detected from these objects. A region is assumed, called “X-ray corona”, where hot electrons upscatter off UV/optical photons emitted from the disc to X-ray energies. However, neither the location, size, and physical properties nor the mechanism that powers the X-ray corona are currently known.
The study of time-lags as a function of frequency has played an important role in understudying the geometry and the physical processes near the supermassive black hole in AGN. The first detection of delays between the X-ray continuum and the physical components that are supposed to be the result of X-ray disc reflection in AGN was reported 15 years ago. Since then, the detection of time-delays between the X-ray continuum and the iron Ka line (as well as the soft excess) in many AGN have provided a solid argument for the X-ray illumination of the inner region in AGN, as well as vital information regarding the location of the X-ray source, the BH spin etc.
The main objectives of the project are two-fold: on the first hand, the PhD candidate will investigate in detail the statistical properties of all the currently available methods and the statistical properties of the respective estimators (mean/bias, variance, probability distribution and possible inter-correlations) with the use of synthetical light curves assuming a variety of intrinsic time-lags spectra. The second objective will be to apply the appropriate method to compute time-lags using all the available light curves for a large sample of AGN, taking into account the vast number of past observations in the archive of current and past X-ray satellites. Time-lags will be computed at various energy bands, and a variety of statistical methods (including Bayesian inference and classical model fitting techniques) will be applied to fit the observed time-lags with existing and new models that will be developed within the TALES Network by other partners. The PhD project will provide in the end the most comprehensive study of the X-ray time-lags in AGN so far.
The doctoral candidate will be based at the Department of Physics of the University of Crete in Heraklion, and will be supervised by Prof. Iossif Papadakis. The doctoral candidate will enroll at the PhD program of the Physics Department. Foreseen secondments include School of Physics at the University of Bristol in the UK (UNIVBRIS), the Astrophysics Group of the Tor Vergata University of Rome and industrial partners of the TALES Doctorate Network.
Where to apply
- jhep@physics.uoc.gr
Requirements
- Research Field
- Astronomy » Astrophysics
- Education Level
- Master Degree or equivalent
- Research Field
- Physics
- Education Level
- Master Degree or equivalent
- Master of Sciences in Physics or Astronomy/Astrophysics (to be completed by the start date)
- Proficiency in English, both written and spoken
- Solid computational background
- Strong writing and communication skills compatible with an entry-level research position.
- Ability to work independently and take initiative
- Effective teamwork skills and collaborative mindset
The successful candidate will engage in a rigorous PhD program that involves a demanding travel schedule, including mandatory secondments with both industrial and academic partners. Participation in a variety of training sessions, dissemination activities, and outreach events will also be required. Given the nature of the program, the ability to adapt quickly to new environments and a willingness to travel frequently are essential.
- Languages
- ENGLISH
- Level
- Excellent
Additional Information
The successful candidate will be offered a 36-month full-time employment contract with a very competitive annual salary. Additional allowances may be available based on family circumstances, in accordance with the MSCA provisions.
The recruited researcher will have the opportunity to work within an international and multidisciplinary team that includes 11 doctoral candidates spread in 10 universities across Europe, a total of 14 astrophysics research groups and 8 industrial partners that are active in the fields of data science or education.
As part of the TALES Doctorate Researcher program, the candidate will benefit from a wide range of professional and personal development opportunities through targeted training events. They will acquire a unique skill set that bridges astrophysical modeling, astronomical observations, and data science, positioning them at the forefront of interdisciplinary research in these fields.
The following conditions apply to the offered position:
Applicants must be Doctoral Candidates, i.e., not already in possession of a doctoral degree at the date of the recruitment. Researchers who have successfully defended their doctoral thesis but who have not yet formally been awarded the doctoral degree will not be considered eligible.
Trans-national mobility: The applicant—at the date of recruitment— should not have resided in the country where the research training takes place for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to recruitment, and not have carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in that country. For refugees under the Geneva Convention (1951 Refugee Convention and the 1967 Protocol), the refugee procedure (i.e. before refugee status is conferred) will not be counted as ‘period of residence/activity in the country of the beneficiary’.
Interested applicants are invited to submit a motivation letter, curriculum vitae including a description of their research experience and (both undergraduate as well as Msc) University transcripts to jhep@physics.uoc.gr by 01/04/2025. In addition, applicants should arrange for two letters of recommendation to be sent directly to the same email address by the application deadline.
Informal inquiries regarding the position can be directed to Prof. I. Papadakis at jhep@physics.uoc.gr . The successful candidate will commence their appointment in Autumn 2025. The selection process will adhere to the code of conduct for the recruitment of researchers.
The Doctorate Candidate will work close to the Institute of Astrophysics (IA) which is located at the Physics Department of the University of Crete. IA is the only research Institute in Greece dedicated exclusively to the field of A\astrophysics. The prime goals of the Institute are to foster and promote excellence in research and innovation in select fields of theoretical and observational astrophysics, as well as to train the new generation of scientists and engineers in order to successfully address the upcoming challenges in modern astrophysics and technology. There are currently 23 PhD students working at the Institute, from various countries all over the world, working on a variety of topics from High Energy And Infrared Astrophysics to Cosmology, pulsars, supernovae and X-ray binaries.
Work Location(s)
- Number of offers available
- 1
- Company/Institute
- Physics Department of the University of Crete
- Country
- Greece
- State/Province
- Crete
- City
- Heraklion
- Postal Code
- 70013
- Street
- University Campus, Voutes
Contact
- State/Province
- Crete
- City
- Heraklion
- Website
- Street
- University Campus, Voutes
- Postal Code
- 70013
- jhep@physics.uoc.gr