Postdoctoral Position in Solar Physics (m/w/d)

KIS; United States; Remote; USD 62,000 - 73,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Supplementary pension

Public sector benefits

Flexible working hours

Childcare support

Public transport discounts

Christmas bonus

Job summary

Institute for Solar Physics (KIS) invites applications for a two-year postdoctoral position on fast spectro-polarimetric (Stokes) inversion techniques. The project aims to accelerate analysis with GPUs and ML, enabling near-real-time processing for several solar instruments including DKIST, VTF, and GREGOR.

Qualifications include a PhD in a relevant field and experience with radiative transfer, Stokes inversion, CUDA, and ML frameworks such as PyTorch or TensorFlow. Start date as early as Jan.

Qualifications

• Applicants should hold a PhD in physics, astrophysics, applied mathematics, or a related field.
• Experience with radiative transfer and/or Stokes inversion techniques is highly desirable.
• Familiarity with GPU programming (e.g., CUDA) and ML frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow) is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Develop fast spectro-polarimetric inversion techniques using GPUs and ML.
• Extend the code to instruments prioritizing GREGOR, VTF at DKIST, and related platforms.

Skills

CUDA

PyTorch

TensorFlow

Radiative transfer

Stokes inversion

GPU programming

Education

PhD in physics/astrophysics/applied mathematics

Tools

CUDA

Job description

The Institute for Solar Physics (KIS, Freiburg, Germany) invites applications for a two-year

postdoctoral position (m/w/d)

on the development of fast spectro-polarimetric (Stokes) inversion techniques.

The goal of the project is to optimize existing Stokes inversion codes using graphical processing units (GPUs) and machine-learning (ML) algorithms, substantially increasing the speed at which spectropolarimetric data can be analyzed and enabling near-real-time processing and interpretation. The project is based on preliminary work at KIS that shows the feasibility of this approach. The final goal is to extend the resulting code to a range of instruments, prioritizing those at GREGOR and the VTF at DKIST.

Qualifications:Applicants should hold a PhD in physics, astrophysics, applied mathematics, or a related field. Experience with radiative transfer and/or Stokes inversion techniques is highly desirable, and prior work with spectropolarimetric observations is an advantage. Familiarity with GPU programming (e.g., CUDA) and machine-learning frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow) is also considered a plus.

The offer:The contract is for a period of 2 years. Salary and benefits are according to the rules for public employees of the State of Baden-Württemberg (TV-L) and German law, at the TV-L E-13 level. On top of the regular social security plans, it includes contributions to a supplementary pension plan, statutory health insurance, and a Christmas bonus.

The position could start as early asJan.1st, 2027.

Deadline for applications:October 31st, 2026.

For questions, please contact: Juan Manuel Borrero or Ivan Milic ([e-mail]; [e-mail])

KIS is a foundation under public law of the State of Baden-Württemberg. Its mission is to conduct fundamental astrophysical research with a focus on solar physics. Current research foci are (1) Solar Magnetism, (2) Solar-Stellar connections, and (3) Instruments, techniques, and data. KIS participates in several EU cooperation projects and contributes advanced instrumentation to the DKIST 4-m solar telescope on Maui, USA.

You can expect a challenging and future-oriented field of activity with opportunities for creativity at an innovative and successful research institute, a wide range of development and training opportunities, and an open and constructive working atmosphere, together with the social benefits customary in the public sector. KIS strives to promote the compatibility of work and family life through flexible, family-friendly working hours, contributions to childcare costs, and discounts on public-transport fares.

An equal-opportunity environment is important to us, and we welcome applicants from groups traditionally underrepresented in astronomy; we will be particularly pleased to receive applications from women. Applicants with disabilities will be given preferential consideration in the case of equal qualifications. Full-time positions may generally be split into two or more part-time positions where there is no formal or legal barrier to doing so. Candidates will be selected in accordance with the AGG (Allgemeines Gleichbehandlungsgesetz, German General Equal Treatment Act).

The application should include a motivation letter, CV, list of publications, and the names and contact details of 3 references. Please state the earliest possible starting date.