GRAPPA, the center of excellence in Astroparticle Physics of the University of Amsterdam (UvA), has an opening for a PhD position in the XENON experimental group, based at Nikhef. The XENON collaboration operates XENON1T, currently the world’s most sensitive dark matter detector. The experiment, located in the underground Gran Sasso laboratory in Italy, will soon be upgraded to the XENONnT phase. This will give another order of magnitude increase in sensitivity to dark matter particles. The Amsterdam group is closely involved in developing and building XENONnT. The group also operates a local R&D detector called XAMS, a dual-phase xenon Time Projection Chamber.

You will work on the following aspects:

• work on XENONnT dark matter data analysis, with a particular emphasis on the analysis of light dark matter signals;
• operate and analyze data from the local R&D setup.

You will be embedded in the XENON dark matter group at Nikhef.

A MSc in Physics or an equivalent degree is required to be considered for this position. Strong software skills are desirable. You need to possess excellent English communication skills.

The appointment will be on a temporary basis for a period of 4 years (initial appointment will be for a period of 18 months and after satisfactory evaluation it can be extended for a total duration of 4 years) and should lead to a dissertation (PhD thesis). We will draft an educational plan that includes attendance of courses and (international) meetings. You will require to travel to the experimental site in Italy. You are also expected to assist in university teaching as a teaching assistant.

Based on a full-time appointment (38 hours per week) the gross monthly salary will range from €2,325 in the first year to €2,972 in the last year. The Collective Labour Agreement (Cao) of Dutch Universities is applicable. Favourable tax agreement may apply to non-Dutch applicants.

University of Amsterdam

With over 5,000 employees, 30,000 students and a budget of more than 600 million euros, the University of Amsterdam (UvA) is an intellectual hub within the Netherlands. Teaching and research at the UvA are conducted within seven faculties: Humanities, Social and Behavioural Sciences, Economics and Business, Law, Science, Medicine and Dentistry. Housed on four city campuses in or near the heart of Amsterdam, where disciplines come together and interact, the faculties have close links with thousands of researchers and hundreds of institutions at home and abroad.  

The UvA’s students and employees are independent thinkers, competent rebels who dare to question dogmas and aren’t satisfied with easy answers and standard solutions. To work at the UvA is to work in an independent, creative, innovative and international climate characterised by an open atmosphere and a genuine engagement with the city of Amsterdam and society.

http://www.uva.nl/en/home

Institute of Physics

GRAPPA, the center of excellence in Astroparticle Physics of the University of Amsterdam (UvA), is a joint effort between the Institute of Physics (IoP) and the Anton Pannekoek Institute (API). It consists of faculty members with a strong interest in experimental and theoretical research into black holes, cosmic rays, neutrinos, dark matter, dark energy, early universe cosmology, and string theory. Several of GRAPPA’s faculty members are also affiliated with Nikhef, the Dutch National Institute for Subatomic Physics, which is in close proximity to the UvA building.

https://iop.uva.nl/