Postdoctoral Employee - Physics/Astrophysics - Physics Department

Saul Perlmutter is Professor of Physics at UC Berkeley and Senior Scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), where he is the leader of the international Supernova Cosmology Project, among other initiatives. This position will work with research scientists, engineers, and data scientists and other scholars within his academic and research communities.

We are seeking one or more applicants to develop forward modeling software and a characterization and calibration plan for a new space-based astronomical image slicing spectrograph. The goal is to create and apply a 'digital twin' of the as-built system to simulate and optimize its performance.

Key responsibilities include:

• Developing forward modeling software to simulate the spectrograph's behavior.
• Designing and executing a characterization and calibration plan for the instrument.
• Collaborating on the creation of a digital twin to mirror the physical system's performance.

Union: https://ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu/resources/employment-policies-contracts/bargaining-units/postdoctoral-scholars/contract/

PhD or equivalent international degree, or enrolled in a PhD or equivalent international degree granting program

• PhD or equivalent international degree.

• PhD in physics or astrophysics field.
• Strong programming skills (e.g., Python) for scientific computing and simulation.
• Familiarity with machine learning (ML) techniques for optimizing models or analyzing complex datasets.
• Experience with space-based instrumentation or similar high-precision systems.
• Demonstrated expertise in one or more of the following areas: 1) Optical modeling: Ray-trace optics, diffractive optics, and stray light analysis. 2) Thermal analysis: Thermal emission modeling and its impact on instrument performance. 3) Detector systems: Characterization and modeling of HxRG detector readout schemes and analysis protocols. 4) Data analysis: Experience with instrumentation data analysis software and algorithms.

• 3 required (contact information only)

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