Physics and Astronomy - 319000

06/27/2024

07/01/2024

No

Postdoctoral Scholar

Post-Doc Research Associate

PDS004270

Full-Time Temporary

40

1

Chapel Hill, NC

North Carolina, US

12 Months

Our primary mission is providing instruction of the highest quality in physics and astronomy to undergraduate and graduate students at UNC-CH. Training in physics is fundamental among the natural sciences because it provides understanding of the forces governing the structure of matter, from subatomic particles to the large-scale structure of the universe. Our departmental instructional mission spans all segments of the student community. Over 60% of all college graduates from UNC-CH have taken a course in our department. Among them: undergraduate liberal arts majors who should master the power of quantitative reasoning; undergraduates seeking a degree in another of the natural sciences, who need physics as a foundation for their advanced scientific training; the small number of undergraduates who major in physics, to whom we provide broad and rigorous training. Our graduate education and research advances frontiers of knowledge at the two extremes of space and time, from the very small) the realm of particle physics) to the very large (the realm of astronomy, while expanding the boundaries of knowledge in the many subfields spanning length scales between. Forefront physics and astronomy research requires access to well-equipped laboratories and extensive computing capabilities; it also must be supported by comprehensive and accessible library collections. Again, in research at this advanced level, the bridging aspect of physics provides basic interdisciplinary insight for many other sciences. A strong managerial, administrative, and technical staff supports this instructional mission. Duties of these employees range from budget planning and management for the numerous research grants held by faculty in the department to maintaining course and student records. These activities are usually accomplished in a standard 40- hour week schedule.

The Argus Array will be the first very large optical telescope array, with a light collecting area equivalent to a 5-meter telescope and a 55-gigapixel digital camera, which will be the largest ever built. The Array will push our observations of the universe into a new regime, scanning the sky 100,000x faster than current nightly-cadence sky surveys. Argus will capture a continuous two-color, 55-gigapixel movie of the night sky, shared with the entire astronomical community in real-time through public transient alerts, images, and light curves with millions of epochs for hundreds of millions of stars. Joining our team of astronomers, telescope-instrumentalists, and data scientists, you will be responsible for the Argus Array’s systems engineering. Three years of prototyping efforts have developed and validated the system design and all major subsystems; we are now funded to scale up to the full Argus Array. This scale up involves the design and construction of the system’s external enclosure and tracking mount; the at-scale production of the telescope assemblies; construction of the array’s computing cluster, and the final assembly and commissioning of the Array. Major components of the Array, including the optical and sensor assemblies and the telescope cradle, will be manufactured by contractors under the lead engineer in collaboration with the systems engineer, the Argus Array Director and project team. Our project management philosophy emphasizes a small and local team; flat management structure; and a highly-collaborative working environment. We routinely produce prototypes and complex hardware in-house, and all team members can expect to perform significant hands-on engineering for Argus subsystems. The systems engineer will lead the validation of the Argus Array hardware subsystems, including the tracking and polar alignment drives, optical alignment systems, and laboratory and on-site testing. In collaboration with the lead engineer, the Argus systems engineer will also manage vendor oversight. This position involves working with the project team to evaluate the deployment sites currently being assessed in North America, the Chilean Andes, and the Canary Islands. The systems engineer will work with the lead engineer to manage construction, safety, quality management, risk, and project schedules. Additionally, the systems engineer will optimize the commissioning process for individual telescope units and develop and document efficient installation procedures to rapidly commission the 900-telescope Argus Array.

PhD in astronomical instrumentation, physics or a related field

We are searching for a systems engineer with relevant experience in astronomical instrumentation, particularly in the construction of modular array telescopes. Leadership experience in complex technical projects is required.

Complex understanding of technology and electronics. Prior experience with working on complex modular systems is desirable. Someone who can solve problems efficiently in a collaborative environment Ability to iterate and improve designs as needed Ability to develop and deploy control systems on large clusters or edge computers Someone with an eye for detail, who can learn quickly and adapt to new surroundings and is highly motivated and enthusiastic about building a one-of-a-kind, world-class array telescope.

Travel to the Argus construction site will be required. Ability to sustain nighttime validations testing will be required at both the Argus site and at UNC.