Jobid=618558035687512947 (0.0994)
You will be part of a dynamic, internationally connected team at Radboud University in Nijmegen (Netherlands), embedded within the SKA High Energy Cosmic Particles Science Working Group and collaborating with leading institutions across Europe and Australia. The work spans the full arc of experimental physics: from instrument commissioning and calibration to data analysis, with direct implications for our understanding of the most extreme astrophysical environments in the universe.
As the first postdoctoral researcher on the ERC funded SKA-CR project, you will take a leading role in designing particle detectors that will be installed at the SKA to facilitate cosmic ray detection. You will lead a feasibility study investigating whether the detectors can be used to distinguish between muons and electrons in cosmic-ray air showers, a capability critical to constraining hadronic interaction models that are currently one of the major sources of uncertainty in the field. Using Geant4 and CORSIKA simulations, you will characterise the signals produced by each particle type in the scintillator detectors and assess whether the high-frequency SKA electronics (sampling at 800 MSPS) can preserve enough information to enable this novel separation technique. The outcome of this study will directly determine the design path for the particle detector upgrade, and you will work with the PI and a dedicated technician to implement the chosen solution before detector deployment.
You will also have an opportunity to contribute to the development of the SKA radio data pipeline for cosmic-ray detection, building on established techniques from the LOFAR cosmic-ray programme and the open-source NuRadioReco framework. The pipeline you develop will be the backbone of all subsequent scientific analyses on the project, and you will supervise and mentor a PhD candidate working alongside you on complementary aspects of this effort. This is a uniquely broad role that combines software development, detector physics and observatory coordination, and you will be expected to present results regularly at major international conferences and contribute to high-profile publications.
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