Addressing the Hubble tension with strong gravitational lensing

Sociedad Española de Astronomía; España; Presencial; EUR 24.000 - 30.000; Jornada completa

Descripción de la vacante

A leading research institute in Spain is offering a PhD position focused on measuring the Hubble constant through strong gravitational lensing. The candidate will engage in lens modeling and contribute to a collaborative cosmology group, utilizing advanced observational techniques from HST and JWST. Ideal for those with backgrounds in astrophysics and experience in observational research.

Formación

• Familiarity with lens modeling and dynamical modeling.
• Experience processing HST and JWST observations.

Responsabilidades

• Measure the Hubble constant using strong gravitational lensing techniques.
• Participate in the TDCOSMO collaboration.

Descripción del empleo

Addressing the Hubble tension with strong gravitational lensing

Centro/Institution:

Institute of Cosmos Sciences of the University of Barcelona (ICCUB)

The Hubble constant, H0, that measures the current expansion rate of the Universe is one of the key parameters of the cosmological model. It can be measured from the Cosmic Microwave Background or directly in the local Universe. While the two measurements should give the same value, as they measure the same universe, they do not agree in practice. This can be a sign that the cosmological model does not describe well-enough our universe, or that the measurements of H0somehow suffer from systematics. One fully independent way of measuring H0locally is to use the so-called time delays in strongly lensed quasars, in combination with detailed models of the potential well for the galaxy(ies) responsible for the lensing effect. The PhD is fully devoted to the measurement of H0with strong lenses and will involve lens modeling, dynamical modeling of lenses as well as processing of HST and JWST observations of such objects. This work, and therefore the student, is/will be part of the TDCOSMO collaboration.

The student will join the new research group of Prof. Frédéric Courbin, at ICCUB but will of course benefit from and contribute to the other groups in observational cosmology at ICCUB.