[astro-jc] Postdoc PdBI/ALMA a l'IRAM Grenoble

["J. Pety" <pety@iram.fr>]

IRAM (Institut de Radio Astronomie Millimétrique / Institute for Radio
Astronomy at Millimeter Wavelengths) in Grenoble (France)

seeks to fill the position of POST-DOCTORAL ASTRONOMER to work on the
development and commissioning of the interferometric on-the-fly observing
mode with the Plateau de Bure interferometer.

Context:

IRAM (http://www.iram.fr) is a leading international institute for
millimeter-wave astronomy, supported by MPG (Max-Planck-Gesellshaft,
Germany), CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, France) and
IGN (Instituto Geografico Nacional, Spain).  IRAM operates two major
millimeter radio-telescopes: the 30-m antenna located in the Spanish Sierra
Nevada, and the 6 15-m antennas Plateau de Bure interferometer in the
French Alps.  IRAM is also involved in the construction of the ALMA
interferometer (http://www.eso.org/projects/alma).  ALMA will consist in 50
12-m antennas located in the Atacama desert of northern Chile.  ALMA is an
equal partnership between Europe and North America, and is funded in Europe
by the European Southern Observatory (ESO).  

Project description :

In the framework of an European Community FP6 project ("ALMA enhancement"),
IRAM is in charge of developing and validating, using the Plateau de Bure
interferometer, a new observing mode in which data are acquired
continuously ("on-the-fly") while the interferometer antennas are moving.
This observing mode will be widely used by ALMA for large-scale mapping but
it poses serious challenges in terms of data quantity, data processing, and
image reconstruction. The required algorithms and software will first be
tested and validated using the Plateau de Bure interferometer, before being
implemented within the ALMA software environment 

Profile of the candidate:

Candidates should have a PhD in astronomy or in a related field. They
should have experience in millimeter radio astronomy and scientific
programming (in C and FORTRAN90).  Knowledge of millimeter interferometry,
techniques of image reconstruction, and of the GILDAS environment would be
an asset.

Profile of the job:

The successful candidate will work on the development of the image
reconstruction algorithms and their implementation in GILDAS
(http://www.iram.fr/IRAMFR/GILDAS), the current data processing software
environment of the IRAM instruments.  He/she will also be involved in the
testing and commissioning of this new observing mode.

The successful candidate is expected to conduct astronomical research up to
50% of his/her time and to participate actively in the scientific life of
IRAM.

The contract is initially limited to 2 years.  The workplace will be at
IRAM headquarters in Grenoble and the starting date is as soon as possible.

Candidates should send, quoting reference VN 2006-02, a detailed CV with
bibliography and a covering letter explaining their interest, together with
the names and addresses of two referees no later than 5 May 2006 to:

   IRAM
   Dr. Pierre COX, Director
   300, rue de la Piscine
   F-38406 ST MARTIN D'HERES, FRANCE

http://www.iram.fr/IRAMFR/jobOffers.htm

**********************************************************************
  Jérôme Pety
  Astronomer / Gildas manager
  Institut de Radio Astronomie Millimetrique
  300 rue de la Piscine, F-38406 St Martin d'Heres Cedex (FRANCE)
  Tel +33 (0)4 76 82 49 87 - Fax +33 (0)4 76 51 59 38
  Personal email: pety@iram.fr / GILDAS related email: gildas@iram.fr
**********************************************************************


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