About the Project
This project will cover the following aspects: Gamma rays, astroparticle physics, MAGIC, CTA-North
The Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) is the next generation ground-based observatory for gamma-ray astronomy at very-high energies (from 20 GeV to > 100 TeV). With over 100 telescopes located in two sites in the northern and southern hemispheres, CTA will be the world’s largest and most sensitive high-energy gamma-ray observatory ever built. Spain will host the CTA-North observatory at the Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos (ORM), in the Canary island of La Palma.
CTA is expected to bring about a huge leap in our understanding of the high-energy sky by detecting hundreds of objects. That will include remnants of supernova explosions, rapidly spinning ultra-dense stars known as pulsars, star-forming galaxies and galaxies with supermassive black holes at their centres and whole clusters of galaxies. Besides this variety of astrophysical scenarios, gamma rays detected with CTA may also provide a direct signature of dark matter annihilation or decay, unveil possible deviations from Einstein’s theory of relativity, and probe the contents of cosmic voids that exist between galaxy filaments in the Universe.
The gamma-ray astrophysics group at IFAE is playing a leading role in the ongoing construction of the first of the four large-size telescopes of CTA-North, dubbed LST-1, equipped with a 23-m diameter dish, that will be installed at the ORM through 2017. IFAE is also one of the founding members of the MAGIC collaboration, which successfully operates the twin MAGIC gamma-ray telescopes at the ORM since 2003. IFAE designed and built the camera of the first MAGIC telescope, as well as a significant part of the data acquisition electronics for both telescopes. Our group is also responsible for the science data center of the MAGIC collaboration, located at the neighboring Port d’Informació Cientìfica (PIC), and participates in most of the MAGIC physics working groups.
The subject of this PhD work shall be the science with the MAGIC Telescopes and first science with CTA-North. The successful candidate will join the gamma-ray team at IFAE to take part in the data analysis and interpretation of the MAGIC observations as well as first CTA-North data. It is expected that LST-1 will often operate in stereoscopic mode together with the MAGIC telescopes. The scientific topic, within those covered by the group (dark matter searches, galactic sources, active galactic nuclei and gamma-ray propagation) will be agreed with the candidate upon joining the group.
Eligibility Criteria
To be admitted to the review process, candidates must comply with the following eligibility criteria:
• Presenting complete applications including all requested compulsory information and documentation.
• Having not spent more than 12 months of the prior 36 months in Spain, at the time of the call deadline. You will be required to confirm your compliance through a self-declaration.
• Hold a University degree (by the time of enrollment in the PhD program) that would qualify the applicant to enter one of the PhD programmes recognized by the BIST research centers. These have formal agreements with the major Catalan Universities (UB, UAB, UPC, URV, and UPF) whereby BIST senior researchers (generally of professorial rank and enjoying international recognition) are accredited to supervise PhD students, who do their research at BIST research centres and obtain their degree from the corresponding university. Please provide evidence when you apply (e.g. scanned copy of your degree or similar).
• At the time of the call deadline, be in the first 4 years of your scientific post gradual career (full-time equivalent research experience). In case your University degree was longer ago than 4 years, you will need to provide documental evidence for complying with this criteria.
• Having not been awarded yet a PhD degree.
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