The Niels Bohr International Academy at the Niels Bohr Institute of the Faculty of Science at the University of Copenhagen is offering a PhD scholarship in high-energy cosmic neutrino physics.

The start date is October 01, 2020, or as soon as possible thereafter.

Project description
What is Nature like at its most fundamental level? What are its building blocks and how do they interact? What are its organizing principles? These questions lie at the core of Physics, science, and human curiosity. During the last century, we steadily found deeper answers, using increasingly powerful particle accelerators that revealed fundamental particles, interactions, and symmetries. Yet, ample territory remains unexplored at higher energies, ripe for discoveries.

Today, accelerators still churn out valuable data, but, so far, fail to guide us in furthering our view of fundamental physics. Observing particle processes at higher energies would provide guidance, but they lie beyond the reach of accelerator technology.

Fortunately, Nature itself provides a way forward: we must turn from man-made particle accelerators to naturally occurring cosmic accelerators. These are extreme phenomena — exploding and colliding stars, black holes — that emit particles with energies millions of times higher than man-made accelerators.

During your PhD, you will learn how to harness the vast potential of high-energy cosmic neutrinos — elementary particles with unique properties — to unearth the particle physics that awaits at the highest, unexplored energies. You will look especially for signs of new physics, beyond the Standard Model.

The principal supervisor isProf. Mauricio Bustamante at the Niels Bohr International Academy ([email protected], http://inspirehep.net/author/profile/M.Bustamante.1). Your PhD will be part of the project “Pushing Neutrino Physics to the Cosmic Frontier”, funded by the Villum Fonden (project no. 29388).

Description of the scientific environment
The Niels Bohr Institute (NBI) was inaugurated March 3, 1921, by Professor Niels Bohr. Currently, we are approximately 130 researchers, 70 administrative and technical staff, 100 PhD students, and Masters and undergraduate 400 students. The NBI is part of the Faculty of Science at the University of Copenhagen.

The Niels Bohr International Academy (NBIA) is an independent center of excellence hosted by the NBI. Its mission is to attract the best and the brightest to Denmark and provide the environment to enable breakthrough research in the physical sciences and mathematics, such as astroparticle physics, biophysics, condensed matter, quantum devices, particle physics, cosmology, and theoretical astrophysics. For an overview of all of the research areas at NBIA, see here (https://www.nbi.ku.dk/english/research/).

The NBI is an international hub for neutrino research. It hosts the Neutrino Astrophysics group (https://www.nbi.ku.dk/english/research/astrophysics/astronu/) and the IceCube group (https://www.nbi.ku.dk/english/research/experimental-particle-physics/icecube/). In joining, you will have a chance to interact with these groups on a regular basis.

The NBI has a vibrant working environment, with many weekly seminars, colloquia, and journal clubs, and frequent international visitors.

Job description
The duration of the PhD position is 3 years. During that time, some of the topics you will explore are:

• Neutrino interactions with matter, both baryonic and dark
• Neutrino interactions with neutrinos, enhanced by BSM effects
• Neutrino decay, including into new particles
• Tests of more general neutrino properties, including broken Lorentz and CPT symmetries

During your PhD you will learn:

• How to predict Standard-Model and beyond-the-Standard-Model effects at high neutrino energies
• How to test your predictions by computing the associated expected signals at neutrino telescopes
• How to use experimental data (e.g., from the IceCube neutrino telescope) to make new measurements of a predicted effect or to place new limits on it
• How to properly account for all relevant particle-physics and astrophysical uncertainties involved, using statistical methods
• How to communicate your research effectively, in written and oral form

Your key tasks as a PhD student will be:

• To manage and carry through your research project
• To attend PhD courses
• To write scientific articles and your PhD thesis
• To disseminate your research orally in the form of seminars and other oral contributions
• To stay at an external research institution for a few months, preferably abroad
• To work for the University, primarily by teaching Physics courses

Application requirements
The applicant must hold an MSc degree in particle or astroparticle physics with good results. The applicant must have good English skills.

When assessing your qualifications, we will evaluate your grades, relevant work experience, and publications, if any. Work on a neutrino-related topic during your MSc thesis is preferable, but it is not a requirement.

Application documents and procedure
The application, in English, must be submitted electronically by clicking APPLY NOW below.

Please include the following documentation:

• Cover letter,detailing your motivation and background for applying for this PhD project
• CV
• Diploma and transcripts of records (BSc and MSc)
• Other information for consideration, e.g., list of publications (if any)

The University wishes its staff to reflect the diversity of society and thus welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background.

The deadline for applications is 6 of May, 2020, 23:59 GMT +1

Terms of employment
The position is covered by the Memorandum on Job Structure for Academic Staff.

Terms of appointment and payment accord to the agreement between the Ministry of Finance and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the State.

The starting annual salary is currently at a minimum DKK 322,642 (approx. €43,015) including annual supplement (+ pension up to DKK 44,567). Negotiation for salary supplement is possible.

What happens after you apply
After the expiry of the deadline for applications, the authorized recruitment manager selects applicants for assessment on the advice of the Interview Committee. Afterwards an assessment committee will be appointed to evaluate the selected applications. The applicants will be notified of the composition of the committee and the final selection of a successful candidate will be made by the Head of Department, based on the recommendations of the assessment committee and the interview committee.

The main criterion for selection will be the research potential of the applicant and the above mentioned skills. The successful candidate will then be requested to formally apply for enrolment as a PhD student at the PhD school of Science. You can read more about the recruitment process at http://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/.

Questions
For specific information about the PhD scholarship, please contact the principal supervisor, Prof. Mauricio Bustamante, Niels Bohr International Academy ([email protected]).

General information about PhD programmes at SCIENCE is available at http://www.science.ku.dk/phd.

Kilde: Jobnet.dk