Postdoctoral research position in gravitational microlensing (M/F)

CNRS; France; Sur place; EUR 42 000 - 66 000; Plein temps

Résumé du poste

CNRS Institut d'astrophysique de Paris (IAP) in Paris invites applications for a Recognised Researcher (R2) position in the Exoplanets team. You will contribute to the NYX project, aiming to search for exomoons via gravitational microlensing, using ground- and space-based data.

The successful candidate will prepare and analyze data, publish papers, and participate in international meetings, seminars, and collaborations within the DIM Origines Île-de-France and SPACE-MLENS networks.

Qualifications

• PhD in astrophysics or related field; >3 years postdoc experience.
• Professional English required; French not required.
• Programming skills in Python and experience with HPC.
• Experience with microlensing modeling and exoplanet surveys preferred.
• Ability to work independently and in international collaborations.

Responsabilités

• Prepare and use software for detecting and modeling microlensing events.
• Carry out a systematic search for relevant microlensing events.
• Analyze high angular resolution images, including ESA/Euclid data.
• Compute detection efficiencies and survey sensitivity.
• Publish papers and present results at meetings and conferences.
• Engage with the Exoplanets team and lab activities.

Connaissances

Astrophysics

Gravitational microlensing

Exoplanets

Statistics

Bayesian inference

Team collaboration

Scientific writing

Formation

PhD in astrophysics or related field

Postdoc experience >3 years

Outils

Python

HPC

Euclid/HST data analysis

Description du poste

Organisation/Company CNRS Department Institut d'astrophysique de Paris Research Field Astronomy Researcher Profile Recognised Researcher (R2) Application Deadline 14 Oct 2026 - 23:59 (UTC) Country France Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 35 Offer Starting Date 10 Nov 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

You will work at the Institut d'astrophysique de Paris (IAP), within the Exoplanets team, under the supervision of J.-P. Beaulieu and C. Ranc, and in close collaboration with S. Charnoz (Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, IPGP). The position is part of the NYX project, co-funded by the DIM Origines Île-de-France and the ANR project SPACE-MLENS. NYX aims to carry out the first systematic search for exomoons around cold planets located between 10 and 1,000 astronomical units from their host star. To this end, you will detect, analyse and model gravitational microlensing events from both ground- and space-based observations.

Your activities will include, for example:

• - Preparing and using software for the detection and modeling of gravitational microlensing events.
• - Carrying out a systematic search for relevant microlensing events.
• - Analysing high angular resolution images, including those obtained with the ESA/Euclid satellite.
• - Computing detection efficiencies and survey sensitivity.
• - Writing one or more papers, and regularly presenting your work at meetings and international conferences.

In addition, the successful candidate is expected to take part in the life of the Exoplanets team and of the lab (for example, attending seminars, organizing journal clubs, etc.).

Located in the heart of Paris, the Institut d'astrophysique de Paris (IAP) is one of the leading research laboratories in astrophysics and cosmology. It brings together more than 60 permanent researchers and has around 150 members in total. The Exoplanet research group, to which J.-P. Beaulieu and C. Ranc belong, includes about fifteen researchers specializing in the detection and characterization of exoplanets using various techniques (transits, radial velocities, microlensing) and large surveys, both from the ground (OHP, MOA, PLANET) and from space (HST, JWST, Euclid, Roman). The IAP is also involved in the preparation and scientific exploitation of the upcoming ESA missions PLATO and Ariel, the latter with co-PI status.

The IAP's research themes cover a broad range of the major questions of modern cosmology and exoplanetology, from galaxy formation to gravitational-wave astrophysics, as well as models of the early Universe, the detection of planets both close to and very far from their host star, the characterization of exocomets, and the statistical study of exoplanet populations.

You will have access to high-performance computing resources, such as the Horizon/Infinity computing cluster (~5,600 CPU cores, ~13 V100/H100 GPUs) and Candide. Funding is available for travel, visitors and computing, in accordance with the rules of projects funded by the DIM Origines.

The CNRS has been awarded the European "HR Excellence in Research" label. We are committed to equal opportunities and diversity, and we encourage applications from a wide range of backgrounds. All applications will be considered without regard to gender, origin, disability or age.

• - Knowledge: astrophysics, gravitational microlensing (in particular single- and binary-lens modeling), exoplanets, statistics and Bayesian inference. Familiarity with the NASA/Roman mission and its exoplanet programme would be an asset.
• - Technical skills: modeling microlensing light curves; analysis of high angular resolution images in crowded fields; programming (Python in particular) and cluster computing. Experience analyzing Euclid, HST or adaptive optics (Keck) data would be appreciated.
• - Scientific communication (writing papers, giving oral presentations).
• - Social skills: autonomy, rigor, initiative, scientific integrity, ability to work in a team and within international collaborations.
• - Languages: professional written and spoken English required; French not required.
• - Experience: PhD in astrophysics or a related field at the time of recruitment, with more than 3 years of postdoctoral experience.