Post-doc researcher in heliospheric plasma physics (M/F)

CNRS - National Center for Scientific Research; France; On-site; EUR 40,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

CNRS - Laboratoire d'Instrumentation et de Recherche en Astrophysique at Meudon (Paris Observatory) is seeking a post-doctoral researcher to investigate acceleration and propagation of energetic electrons in solar flares using Solar Orbiter RPW data. You will develop automated tools to analyze radio emissions across frequencies and derive electron beam velocity distributions.

The project focuses on type III radio bursts, wave scattering effects, and comparison with plasma simulations.

Qualifications

• PhD in astrophysics or equivalent.
• Good knowledge in radio instrumentation.
• Good knowledge in Python.
• Good communication and teamwork; motivated to contribute to a constructive, collaborative and positive working atmosphere.
• Autonomous and willing to take initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Investigate the acceleration and propagation of energetic electrons during solar flares using data from the Solar Orbiter mission.
• Develop a method to automatically analyse the detailed time evolution of the radio emission at different frequencies to derive distributions of electron beam velocities.
• Compare distributions with simulations of radio emissions and estimate the effect of wave scattering in the interplanetary medium.
• Work in the Heliosphere and Astrophysical Plasmas team at LIRA at the Meudon site; report to Milan Maksimovic.

Skills

Communication

Teamwork

Autonomy

Initiative

Education

PhD in astrophysics or equivalent

Tools

Python

Radio instrumentation

Job description

Organisation/Company CNRS Department Laboratoire d'Instrumentation et de Recherche en Astrophysique Research Field Astronomy Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Application Deadline 4 Nov 2026 - 23:59 (UTC) Country France Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 35 Offer Starting Date 1 Dec 2026 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

The mission of the post-doc researcher will be to investigate the acceleration and propagation of energetic electrons during solar flares using data from the Solar Orbiter mission.
Understanding how energetic electrons produced in solar flares fill the heliosphere is one of the key questions of Solar Orbiter. The post-doc will directly contribute to this topic by analysing the radio diagnostics of the energetic electrons escaping from the solar surface to the interplanetary medium. These energetic electrons produce Langmuir waves while propagating along the interplanetary magnetic field lines which are converted via non-linear processes to radio electromagnetic radiation.
The analysis of these emissions provide information on the characteristics of the electron beams in the interplanetary medium (velocity, number) but also on the conditions of propagation of the radio electromagnetic radiation itself, since the radio emission can be scattered in the turbulent interplanetary medium.

The post-doc researcher will work on the catalog of « type III » radio emissions produced by electron beams and observed by the RPW instrument (more than 15000 bursts). He/she will develop a method to automatically analyse the detailed time evolution of the radio emission at different frequencies so as derive distributions of electron beam velocities at the start, peak and in the decacy of the emissions. These distributions will be compared with the results of simulations of radio emissions and will also be used to estimate the effect of wave scattering in the interplanetary medium.

The post-doc researcher will work in the team « Helioshhere and Astrophysical Plasmas) at LIRA. The work will take place in the Meudon site of the Paris Observatory.
The researcher will report directly to Milan Maksimovic.
The team has a long experience in the study of heliospheric plasmas and in the field of radio-instrumentation. Members of the team are strongly involved in the scientific analysis of Solar Orbiter and in particular of the RPW instrument (plasma and radio wave experiment).

• To have a Phd in astrophysics or equivalent
• To have a good knowledge in radio instrumentation
• To have a good knowledge in python
• To have good capacities in communication and work in teams, to have motivation to contribute to a constructive, collaborative and positive working atmosphere.
• To be autonomous and to be willing to take initiatives.