Project Title

ALMA Archival Research on Fragmentation in Star-Forming Cores

The Role

ALMA’s exquisite angular resolution and sensitivity have opened the door to studying fragmentation within dense star-forming cores in our Galaxy.  The few existing analyses of such fragments alongside the incidence rates expected by simulations have provided conflicting results.  Large samples of detections are necessary, and a wealth of publicly available data exists in ALMA’s archive waiting to be examined.  The successful applicant will harness the computing resources available in the CANFAR Science Platform to process archival ALMA continuum and line emission data of dense cores in nearby molecular clouds to identify, analyze the properties of core fragments, and compare them with those predicted by numerical simulations.  With this project, the successful applicant will help to develop ‘big data’ capabilities for the CANFAR Science Platform, as it prepares to become a major computing hub as Canada’s SKA Regional Centre.

Active areas of research at NRC Herzberg include star formation, the interstellar medium, Solar System objects, exoplanets and circumstellar disks, magnetic fields, the Milky Way and Local Group, near-field cosmology and resolved stellar populations, galaxy evolution, supermassive black holes and high redshift galaxies. The Canadian Astronomical Data Centre at NRC Herzberg is involved in many areas including operating a multi-wavelength telescope archive and supporting the cloud-based computing services offered on the CANFAR Science Platform. Current and future ground- and space-based facilities from the UV to radio are represented in our instrument development, which includes radio correlators and signal processing, radio receivers, antenna design, adaptive optics, and UV/optical/near-IR instrumentation.

Education

 PhD in astronomy or astrophysics or a closely related field obtained within three years of starting the position or anticipated to be awarded in the next 6 months.*

Experience

1. Experience in the publication of high calibre astronomical research papers in the refereed scientific literature is required.
2. Experience in obtaining, reducing, analyzing, and/or aiding in the interpretation of astronomical data from ground- and/or space-based observatories or from astronomical data archives is required.  
3. Research experience in the field of star formation or a closely related field, including publications, is strongly preferred.
4. Experience working with ALMA or other radio/submillimetre interferometry data is desirable.
5. Experience working with large cloud computing resources is helpful but not required.

Application Requirements

• Resume
• Statement of Interest in the project (maximum one page in length)
• PhD Transcript - an electronic copy is sufficient, it does not have to be an official version.
• List of Publications
• Research statement, no longer than 3 pages (references excluded). Please highlight in your statement what you consider to be your most impactful contribution to your field (paper, result, software, instrument, etc.).

In addition, applicants who best meet the requirements of the position will be asked to provide three letters of recommendation at a later stage of the competition process.

Compensation

The intent of this hiring action is to staff through the Postdoctoral Fellowships Program at the RCO-2/AsRO level, which is an early-career level position with a salary range of $82,338 to $114,354.