Within the context of the Pierre Auger Collaboration, the High Energy Astroparticle Physics Department of the Institute for Mathematics, Astrophysics and Particle Physics (IMAPP) (Faculty of Science, Radboud University, Netherlands) is looking for two PhD candidates.

The Pierre Auger Observatory is the largest detector ever built to study ultra-high-energy cosmic rays. Situated in Malargüe, Argentina, its 3000 km2 array of detectors is currently undergoing an upgrade, including the deployment of additional particle detectors as well as antennas measuring the radio-frequency emission from air showers. This will enhance the capabilities of the observatory to determine the nature of the highest-energy particles ever observed and potentially detect ultra-high-energy photons for the very first time. Such discoveries could help solve the long-standing mystery of the origin of the ultra-high-energy cosmic rays.

You will contribute by calibrating the newly installed Radio Detector and investigating new triggers that use the sub-detectors added in the upgrade. Other important aspects will be refining the event reconstruction for inclined air showers using the Radio Detector and data analysis to search for ultra-high-energy cosmic photons. The PhD candidates will be supported in these tasks by the strong expertise in signal reconstruction and data analysis for radio detectors in our group. You will also be required to do some teaching, which will comprise 10% of your workload.

• MSc degree in physics.
• A good command of English.
• Experience in data analysis and scientific computing are an advantage.

Fixed-term contract: you will be appointed for an initial period of 18 months, after which your performance will be evaluated. If the evaluation is positive, the contract will be extended by 2.5 years (4 year contract) or 3.5 years (5 year contract).

• Employment: 0.8 (5 year contract) -1.0 FTE (4 year contract).
• The gross starting salary amounts to €2,434 per month based on a 38-hour working week, and will increase to €3,111 from the fourth year onwards (salary scale P).
• In addition to the salary: an 8% holiday allowance and an 8.3% end-of-year bonus.
• Duration of the contract: you will be appointed for an initial period of 18 months, after which your performance will be evaluated. If the evaluation is positive, the contract will be extended by 2.5 years (4 year contract) or 3.5 years (5 year contract).
• Your teaching load may be up to 10% of your appointment.
• You will be able to use our Dual Career and Family Care Services. Our Dual Career and Family Care Officer can assist you with family-related support, help your partner or spouse prepare for the local labour market, provide customized support in their search for employment and help your family settle in Nijmegen.

Additional employment conditions
Work and science require good employment practices. This is reflected in Radboud University's primary and secondary employment conditions. You can make arrangements for the best possible work-life balance with flexible working hours, various leave arrangements and working from home. You are also able to compose part of your employment conditions yourself, for example, exchange income for extra leave days and receive a reimbursement for your sports subscription. And of course, we offer a good pension plan. You are given plenty of room and responsibility to develop your talents and realise your ambitions. Therefore, we provide various training and development schemes.

The positions will be based in the High Energy Physics Department of the Institute for Mathematics, Astrophysics and Particle Physics (IMAPP). The department consists of 15 staff scientists and about 30 PhD candidates and postdoctoral researchers, performing cutting-edge theoretical and experimental research in particle physics and quantum gravity. Besides our participation in the Pierre Auger Collaboration, we are also involved in other experiments such as ATLAS at CERN, DUNE and GRAND. We maintain close collaborations with theoreticians and our colleagues in the Astrophysics and Mathematics departments. Radboud University Nijmegen is one of the founding partners of Nikhef, the national institute for subatomic physics, which coordinates the particle and astroparticle physics activities in the Netherlands.