Postdoc Position in Laboratory Astrochemistry

Center for Interstellar Catalysis – InterCat is seeking applications for a fulltime postdoctoral position at The Department of Physics and Astronomy at Aarhus University. Starting July 1st, 2024 or as soon as possible thereafter for a period of 16 months. 

Job description

The successful applicants will participate in the experimental research activities under InterCat aimed at determining how interstellar nanoscale dust grains act as catalysts for the formation of the molecular building blocks of life, in space. They will use low temperature scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), temperature programmed desorption, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and IR spectroscopy to follow in situ reactions leading to complex molecule formation on realistic dust grain analogue surfaces. Close collaboration with theoreticians, observers and the experimental astrochemistry group in Leiden is expected.

The job includes:

• Synthesis of realistic interstellar dust grain analogues (carbonaceous materials, silicates and ice-clusters).

• Characterization of these based on existing STM, AFM, TPD, AUGER, XPS, RAMAN spectroscopy and optical spectroscopy setups.

• Mapping of catalytic pathways and reaction rates on interstellar dust grain analogue surfaces using STM, TPD, and XPS.

• Maintenance and troubleshooting on various experimental UHV setups.

• Participating in maintenance of the group laboratories.

• Data analysis and writing scientific publications.

• Supervision of PhD, Master and bachelor students.

• ​​​​​​​Project administration, such as writing reports etc.

Qualifications

Candidates should have a PhD degree in physics or similar field, with strong experience in experimental surface science, UHV techniques, catalysis/reactions on surfaces and atomic scale characterization. A background in laboratory astrochemistry is preferred.

The ideal candidate has good collaboration skills and is also able to work independently.

About InterCat

InterCat – Center for Interstellar Catalysis – is a center of excellence supported by the Danish National Research Foundation. The center is situated at the Department of Physics and Astronomy and at the Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center at Aarhus University in Denmark and at Leiden Observatory at Leiden University in the Netherlands. See

https://phys.au.dk/intercat/

for further details.

The goal of InterCat is to determine how interstellar nanoscale dust grains act as catalysts for the formation of the molecular building blocks of life, in space. InterCat uses the full toolbox of heterogeneous nano-catalysis to identify key catalytic and photo-catalytic reactions on and in carbonaceous, silicate and ice-covered nanoparticles representing realistic analogues of interstellar dust grains.  The aim is to follow the build-up of complex, biologically relevant molecules, step-by-step, via atom addition, radical addition or molecular reactions under interstellar conditions and directly link these findings to astronomical observations made by ALMA and upcoming JWST. InterCat researchers have access to an extensive inventory of cutting-edge experimental, observational and theoretical facilities and techniques: Machine learning and evolutionary algorithms, the ASTRID2 synchrotron source and the scanning probe microscopy (SPM) and low temperature astrochemistry machine-parks at Aarhus University (AU) and University of Leiden (UL), as well as the option of direct involvement in running and upcoming observational facilities such as ALMA and JWST. 

Place of work and area of Employment

The place of work is Ny Munkegade 120, 8000 Aarhus C and the area of employment is Aarhus University with related departments.

Contact information 

For further information on the position please contact Prof. Liv Hornekær ([email protected]).

Deadline 

Applications must be received no later than February 27th, 2024. 

Application procedure

Shortlisting is used. This means that after the deadline for applications – and with the assistance from the assessment committee chairman, and the appointment committee if necessary, – the head of department selects the candidates to be evaluated. All applicants will be notified whether or not their applications have been sent to an expert assessment committee for evaluation. The selected applicants will be informed about the composition of the committee, and each applicant is given the opportunity to comment on the part of the assessment that concerns him/her self. Once the recruitment process is completed a final letter of rejection is sent to the deselected applicants.

Letter of reference

If you want a referee to upload a letter of reference on your behalf, please state the referee’s contact information when you submit your application. We strongly recommend that you make an agreement with the person in question before you enter the referee’s contact information, and that you ensure that the referee has enough time to write the letter of reference before the application deadline. Unfortunately, it is not possible to ensure that letters of reference received after the application deadline will be taken into consideration.

Formalities and salary range

Natural Sciences refers to the

Ministerial Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Danish Universities under the Danish Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation

.

The application must be in English and include a curriculum vitae, degree certificate, a complete list of publications, a statement of future research plans and information about research activities, teaching portfolio and verified information on previous teaching experience (if any). Guidelines for applicants can be found here.

Appointment shall be in accordance with the collective labour agreement between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. Further information on qualification requirements and job content may be found in the Memorandum on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Danish Universities .

Salary depends on seniority as agreed between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and the Confederation of Professional Associations.

Aarhus University’s ambition is to be an attractive and inspiring workplace for all and to foster a culture in which each individual has opportunities to thrive, achieve and develop. We view equality and diversity as assets, and we welcome all applicants.

Research activities will be evaluated in relation to actual research time. Thus, we encourage applicants to specify periods of leave without research activities, in order to be able to subtract these periods from the span of the scientific career during the evaluation of scientific productivity.

Aarhus University offers a broad variety of services for international researchers and accompanying families, including relocation service and career counselling to expat partners. Read more here . Please find more information about entering and working in Denmark here .

Aarhus University also offers a Junior Researcher Development Programme targeted at career development for postdocs at AU. You can read more about it here .

At the Faculty of Natural Science at Aarhus University, we strive to support our scientific staff in their career development. We focus on competency development and career clarification and want to make your opportunities transparent. On our website , you can find information on all types of scientific positions, as well as the entry criteria we use when assessing candidates. You can also read more about how we can assist you in your career planning and development.

The application must be submitted via Aarhus University’s recruitment system, which can be accessed under the job advertisement on Aarhus University’s website.