Attention: NRC Research Associates Program ,
The X-ray Astronomy Branch at the Naval Research Laboratory invites applications for a postdoctoral position in X-ray Astronomy. The Branch is currently the PI institution for the USA X-ray timing experiment launched in 1999. USA is carrying out a broad program of investigations of X-ray binaries including black hole transients, LMXBs, X-ray pulsars, CVs and AGN.
The USA mission will be ending in 2000 November, but there are numerous investigations to be carried out on the 1.5 years of data collected totaling on about 60 sources. The postdoc will contribute to various calibration studies which will allow them to extract maximal information from the data. Particular interests are QPOs in black hole candidates, X-ray pulsar timing and timing studies of various neutron star LMXBs. Opportunities will also exist to work on solid state detector development for a next generation X-ray timing mission as well as to propose for observations with Chandra or XMM/Newton. The position will be for two years with a possible extension of up to one year.
Desirable experience for the successful candidate includes: analysis of X-ray astronomy data, use of Fourier techniques, programming experience in C and perl in a Unix environment. Experience with NASA's RXTE satellite will be particularly beneficial.
Applications should be made through the NRC Research Associates Program. The deadline to apply is 15 January 2001.
For additional information contact Kent Wood (wood@ssd0.nrl.navy.mil) or Paul Ray (Paul.Ray@nrl.navy.mil).
NRC Associateships at NRL are restricted to US citizens only.