Postdoc: Auroral & Subauroral Optical Phenomena

University of California at Berkeley

Berkeley (CA)

On-site

USD 65,000 - 90,000

Full time

14 days+

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Job summary

The Space Sciences Laboratory at UC Berkeley invites applications for a Postdoctoral Scholar to investigate auroral and subauroral optical phenomena, collaborating with Dr. L Claire Gasque and Dr. Brian Harding.

The role blends ground-based observations, satellite data, and physics-based modeling to study magnetosphere–ionosphere–thermosphere coupling. The fellow will analyze auroral imagery and spectroscopic data, build event catalogs, and compare results with TREx, Swarm, and DMSP

Qualifications

PhD (or equivalent) in space physics, geophysics, or a related field.
Experience with auroral imaging and spectroscopy.
Strong data analysis and modeling skills.
Ability to develop reproducible software and publish results.

Responsibilities

Analyze ground-based optical observations from auroral imagers and spectrographs.
Develop and apply methods to identify and characterize auroral phenomena.
Construct and analyze event catalogs and correlate ground- and satellite data.
Analyze satellite measurements from missions like Swarm and DMSP.
Develop and apply kinetic, chemical, and electrodynamic models of ionosphere-thermosphere coupling.
Create synthetic optical observations and compare with measurements.
Develop well-documented scientific software and contribute to public repositories.
Lead and contribute to publications and presentations at conferences.