Post-Doctoral Research Associate in Radio Astronomy

The National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center (NAIC) is seeking exceptionally well-qualified applicants for a position as a Postdoctoral Research Associate in radio astronomy at the Arecibo Observatory in Arecibo, Puerto Rico. Applicants whose research interests include any field of radio astronomy that can be effectively pursued with the Arecibo telescope will be considered.  We particularly encourage applications from individuals with observational interests in the following research areas: pulsars, the interstellar medium as probed by HI, OH and molecular lines in the Milky Way and other galaxies, properties of galaxies, cosmology, and high sensitivity VLBI.

The candidate selected will have competitive access to the 305-m diameter Arecibo telescope and its suite of receivers spanning the frequency range from 300 MHz to 10 GHz, and its backend signal processors capable of analyzing bandwidths up to 800 MHz. A Mark 5 VLBI system is used for ultra-wideband interferometric observations with other large telescopes in the US and Europe. The newly-operational, multibeam, Arecibo L-Band Feed Array (ALFA), and the community-based legacy surveys it supports, provides a wealth of unique opportunities for NAIC Postdoctoral Research Associates to become engaged in a collaborative role with the more than 100 students and scientists who will conduct ALFA survey observations at Arecibo beginning in 2005.

NAIC Postdoctoral Research Associates are employees of Cornell University, the institution that manages NAIC on behalf of the National Science Foundation. As such, they are paid a salary competitive with other prestigious research universities, and they participate in the Cornell benefits program. A relocation allowance is provided. All NAIC scientific staff members are expected to have broad scientific interests, and for that reason a generous travel allowance is provided to encourage staff members to participate in scientific conferences and maintain external research collaborations using other telescopes worldwide. At the Arecibo Observatory, the NAIC staff scientists work in a team environment to advise visiting scientists on all aspects of their observing programs, and to implement improvements to the Observatory instruments, observing techniques and signal processing facilities.

A PhD in Astronomy or a related field is required. Individuals experienced in the use of radio astronomy instrumentation or signal processing techniques, or those with a desire to develop hands-on skills with instrumentation or signal processing techniques, are strongly encouraged to apply. Please send a complete curriculum vita including academic, professional and personal data, a research plan and three letters of reference to:Director, National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center, 502 Space Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-6801. EOE/AAE. The deadline for receipt of applications and all supporting materials is January 26, 2005. For further information about the NAIC Arecibo Observatory see http://www.naic.edu.