[Everyone] PhD position in Orléans, France

[Gilles THEUREAU]

Hi everyone,

I would like to inform you that the LPC2E team (Orléans, France) is 
offering between one and three PhD positions, starting this autumn, *for 
the study of pulsars and fast transients *(details below). Please 
contact us if you are interested or circulate this message around you.

Regards,

Gilles

--------

*_Pulsar and fast transient studies in radio domain_*


Pulsars are highly magnetized, rapidly rotating neutron stars. Thanks to 
the extreme stability of pulsar rotation, pulsars are considered “cosmic 
clocks” with a wide range of astrophysical applications. One notable 
example is the measurement with high evidence for Gravitational Waves 
via the Pulsar Timing Array (PTA) experiment recently announced in 2023. 
Pulsar discoveries have directly resulted in two Nobel prizes (1974 and 
1993); finding more pulsars is therefore a gateway to new science. 
Pulsar searching has also indirectly led to the discovery of the new 
phenomenon of Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs), which are energetic bursts of 
radio waves coming from extragalactic distances. The precise nature of 
FRBs is still a mystery and is the driver of an active, ongoing research 
field.


On the technological side, recent advancements have enabled astronomers 
to digitize the radio sky with unprecedented resolution, providing 
sensitivity to transient phenomena to which we would have otherwise been 
blind. The $2-billion Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project is a 
multinational effort to build the most sensitive radio telescope ever 
constructed. France is a member country of the SKA and enabling the SKA 
is high on the national science agenda. With the SKA coming online in 
the near future, it is thus an exciting time to join the radio astronomy 
community. The LPC2E ASTRO team is involved in a range of SKA Pathfinder 
projects, including but not limited to NenuFAR, LOFAR, MeerKAT, Parkes, 
CHIME and CHORD. These instruments are already providing useful insights 
in the preparation for SKA. In addition, there are also huge scientific 
potentials we can realise with these high quality data sets, for example 
in searching for pulsars, FRBs, as well as PTA analyses.

We have the flexibility to adapt the scientific direction of this PhD 
position to the profile of the student(s). Depending on the aptitude of 
the candidate(s), the project could be oriented on the instrumentation 
and the development of signal processing algorithms, time series data 
processing and modeling, statistical analysis and parameter estimation 
using Bayesian inference, and/or the exploitation of Machine Learning 
(ML) based algorithms to reduce false positives caused by human 
generated interference signals in the observational data as opposed to 
genuine astrophysical signals. At the end of the PhD, we expect the 
student to become fully proficient in radio astronomical signal 
processing and an expert in time domain data analysis, particularly in 
the area of pulsars and fast transients. The PhD student will also take 
the lead on conducting a follow-up study of pulsar discoveries using the 
Nançay Radio Telescope (NRT) and the NenuFAR telescope at the Nançay 
Radio Astronomical Observatory in France.

The PhD student will be hosted by the ASTRO team at the LPC2E in 
Orleans. The team boasts the largest pulsar research group in France and 
is closely connected to the Nançay Radio Astronomical Observatory in the 
forest of Sologne. The PhD student will also have the opportunity to 
travel to collaborate with other partnering radio facilities mentioned 
above, as well as to present the research work at international 
conferences. A laptop will be provided, as well as access to necessary 
computing resources.PhD positions in France are nominally for three years.


Applicants should have an undergraduate and/or master’s degree in 
Astronomy (or closely related fields), full-time commitment, and a good 
command of the English language. Previous research experience is 
beneficial.


Applications are accepted until August 10, 2025, but earlier submissions 
are strongly encouraged.Shortlisted applicants will be scheduled for 
interviews. Interested candidates should send us the following material:

  *

    Personal statement outlining applicant’s motivation to train as a
    researcher in astrophysics, and in particular at LPC2E/CNRS,
    research experience (if any), research interests, and career plans
    and goals.

  *

    Curriculum Vitae (max 3 pages, including any publications)

  *

    The contact info of two references

  *

    Copy of official undergraduate (and graduate, if available) academic
    transcripts, with a clear indication of the grading scale system and
    the ranking of the student within their class

Students should contact the potential supervisor beforehand to find out 
more about the projects. For more information, please contact 
theureau at cnrs-orleans.fr <mailto:theureau at cnrs-orleans.fr>(PTA-related 
projects), cherry.ng-guiheneuf at cnrs-orleans.fr 
<mailto:cherry.ng-guiheneuf at cnrs-orleans.fr>(instrumentation, signal 
processing, ML-related projects), chalumeau at aston.nl 
<mailto:chalumeau at aston.nl>(PTA-related projects), 
lucas.guillemot at cnrs-orleans.fr 
<mailto:lucas.guillemot at cnrs-orleans.fr>(NRT-related projects), 
jean-mathias.griessmeier at cnrs-orleans.fr 
<mailto:jean-mathias.griessmeier at cnrs-orleans.fr>(NenuFAR-related 
projects), ismael.cognard at cnrs-orleans.fr 
<mailto:ismael.cognard at cnrs-orleans.fr>(NRT-related projects)

-- 
Gilles Theureau
Astronome à l'Observatoire de Paris
Directeur Adjoint du LPC2E (Laboratoire de Physique et Chimie de l'Environnement et de l'Espace)

LPC2E, CNRS,
3A avenue de la Recherche Scientifique
45071 Orléans, France

Observatoire Radioastronomique de Nançay
route de souesmes
18330 Nançay, France
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