Diffusion PNCG – n° 227 – 22 decembre 2021

1. Joyeuses Fêtes !
2. Announcement of 2022 IAP Lecture course on “Gravitational lensing, from planets to Galaxies”
3. IMBH Meeting (30 April – 3 May 2022, Puerto Rico)
4. STScI Spring 2022 Symposium (April 25-29, 2022, Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, US)
5. “What matter(s) around galaxies 2022” conference (September 12th-16th 2022, Ayas Valley, Italy)
6. Postdoc position on the statistical charaterization of the 21-cm signal from the Epoch of Reionization (LERMA-LPENS, France)
7. Postdoc Position in Cosmology at IAP
8. Postdoc position at ITP Heidelberg
9. Scientific Computing Engineer to work on SGS OU-SIR (IP2I, Lyon)
10. Eight postdoc positions at Stockholm University

Envoyez svp vos propositions d’annonces à l’adresse : pncg@iap.fr
Pour vous inscrire ou gérer votre abonnement à la liste PNCG: https://listes.services.cnrs.fr/wws/info/pncg 


1. Joyeuses Fêtes !
Le Programme National de Cosmologie et Galaxies vous souhaite de bonnes fêtes de fin d’année 2021 !

The Programme National de Cosmologie et Galaxies wishes you merry end of year festivities !
Le bureau du PNCG



2. Announcement of 2022 IAP Lecture course on “Gravitational lensing, from planets to Galaxies”
The Institut d’Astrophysique de Paris will be offering in 2022 a new opus of the “IAP lectures”.
This series of around 7 lectures by Christophe Alard will be devoted to

“Gravitational lensing: from planets to clusters of galaxies”,

a rather timely topics in the year preceding the launch of the Euclid Satellite. The course will also include a few hands-on sessions to practice what was taught… It will be given in English in the IAP amphitheater, every Monday from 3 to 5pm, starting Monday 10th of January. We are not planning to diffuse it by zoom, although if sufficient interest is expressed, this might be reconsidered (or if demand excess the gauge of the amphitheater :-)).

The course will not require any particular background but for familiarity with introductory astrophysics. An outlook of the course if given below in the post scriptum.

Please let us know at secdir@iap.fr if you intent to attend (whether at IAP or not) and if that is conditioned on the availability of a zoom broadcast. 

PS: Gravitational lensing is a very active and highly developed field in astrophysics. The new developments in this field include among many other applications the detection of planets around stars or the lensing by cosmological large scale structures. The dramatic difference in scale in the modern applications of gravitational lensing illustrates the richness of this field but also its complexity. Despite this apparent complexity there are universal aspects in all the applications of gravitational lensing and this course will present this field in an unified manner. The presentation will start with the simplest application which is the lensing of a stellar object by a single massive star. Then the presentation will proceed with the microlensing projects and the perturbations due to planets around stars. This first part will be the occasion to introduce fundamental aspects of gravitational lensing. The course will then proceed with cosmological applications like the lensing of quasars, the formation of gravitational arcs and a general theoretical approach of strong gravitational lensing. The course will conclude with a general presentation of the weak lensing regime and its applications. This course will be illustrated with practical applications and will propose some numerical projects of increasing complexity in order to provide an in depth understanding of gravitational lensing.
Transmis par F. Bouchet



3. IMBH Meeting (30 April – 3 May 2022, Puerto Rico)

INTERMEDIATE-MASS BLACK HOLES: NEW SCIENCE FROM STELLAR EVOLUTION TO COSMOLOGY

From Saturday 30 April through Tuesday 3 May 2022 – San Juan, Puerto Rico

Scientific Topic
In this meeting we aim to explore the various observational and theoretical aspects of intermediate-mass black holes, and their unique role in: (1) Cosmology and galaxy evolution; (2) Formation of gravitational wave sources; (3) Accretion, tidal disruption events, and high-energy phenomena. The workshop aims to serve as a focal point for researchers working on intermediate-mass black holes on all scales, to connect theorists and observers, and to link together and share knowledge and tools between groups working on similar questions.

Website 
For registration, abstract submission, and updates, please visit the meeting website https://sites.northwestern.edu/imbh.
Meeting Format
The meeting will consist of contributed talks and active discussion, for about 5/6 hours per day from Saturday 30 April through Tuesday 2 May 2022. Plenty of time will be dedicated to fruitful discussions and interactions among the participants, and to enjoy the beautiful venue of Puerto Rico.

Application and Abstract Submission 
Due to the large number of people expressing interest in attending the conference and the limited number of people that we can safely host in our meeting space, we have opted for a two-step registration. People that plan to attend the meeting are required to fill the form for application and abstract submission before 23 January 2022. Application is mandatory. Accepted participants will be contacted in order to finalize their registration by paying the registration fee.

Registration Fee 
Accepted participants are required to pay the registration fee before 15 February 2022. The registration fee is $400 and will include breakfast, coffee breaks, and lunch for all meeting days, plus a guided tour of old San Juan and the social dinner. Participants, who have been offered a discounted registration fee, can pay the reduced fee of $200.

Accompanying person 
Participants may pay the cost of the social dinner ($75) for any accompanying person at the moment of registration.

Social Events
We are planning to have plenty of time for social interactions among the participants. Social events will include a guided tour of old San Juan, the social dinner, a rum tasting, and much more!
transmis par G. Fragione



4. STScI Spring 2022 Symposium (April 25-29, 2022, Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, US)

2022 STScI SPRING SYMPOSIUM
Galaxy Clusters 2022: Challenging Our Cosmological Perspectives

SECOND ANNOUNCEMENT  

Galaxy clusters are the densest galaxy environments in the Universe and provide us with important insights into many fundamental astrophysical processes. They are essential laboratories for studying gravity, dark matter, cosmology, interactions between galaxies, the intracluster gas and stars, and the cycling of baryons into and out of galaxies.

Recent multi-wavelength observations have enabled significant progress in our understanding of cluster formation and evolution, delivering more complete samples of clusters and finding ever more distant clusters and protoclusters. However, this is only the starting point. There will be an explosion of multi-wavelength data from the existing and upcoming cluster programs from facilities such as eROSITA, ALMA, ACT, SPT, the Dark Energy Survey, Subaru’s HSC-SSP, Euclid, Rubin Observatory’s LSST, SPHEREx, the Roman Space Telescope, and the Simons Observatory. Wide-area multi-object spectroscopic surveys are providing extensive redshift coverage of clusters out to z = 0.5 and beyond, enabling new lines of research. JWST will further revolutionize our ability to obtain deep spectroscopy and near-infrared data to probe the properties of distant cluster galaxies in unprecedented detail. All of these observations will need to be interpreted with a new, richer generation of more precise simulations of cluster assembly in ever larger volumes.

This symposium will provide a forum for researchers to discuss recent results and future perspectives in the study of galaxy clusters. Topics to be discussed include cluster cosmology, cluster surveys and detection, cluster mass estimation, gravitational lensing and analyses of cluster substructures, environment-driven galaxy evolution, baryon cycling, connections to large-scale structure, results from new large-scale simulations, and the challenges of analyzing cluster data across many wavelengths and over a large span of cosmic time.

Description
The Space Telescope Science Institute will hold a fully virtual symposium beginning Monday, April 25, 2022 through and including Friday, April 29, 2022.  The Symposium will include invited reviews and regular/short contributed talks and posters selected from abstract submissions. Additional information will be posted on the Symposium website as it becomes available. The Symposium website link is: https://www.stsci.edu/events/galaxy-clusters-2022.

Abstract Submittal
Abstracts for talk and poster consideration by the Symposium SOC should be submitted using the following Google link: https://forms.gle/RoJHcK9mKWWVb9FF6.  

REMINDER:  Abstract submission deadline  is January 25, 2022.

Registration

There is no registration fee to attend the Symposium. However, all participants will need to register for the Symposium prior to the registration close date of March 25, 2022.  Submittal of a poster or talk abstract does not register submitters for the Symposium.  Registration is a separate process. 
Registration link: https://na.eventscloud.com/ereg/index.php?eventid=650769&

Important Dates
Abstract Submission Deadline: January 25, 2022.
Abstract Notifications Sent by SOC: February 22, 2022
Registration Opens: March 1, 2022
Registration Closes: March 25, 2022
Symposium Dates: April 25‐29, 2022

Confirmed Speakers
Brad Benson (U. Chicago)
Esra Bulbul (MPE)
Ian Dell’Antonio (Brown)
Vittorio Ghirardini (MPE)
Alexie Leauthaud (UCSC)
Maggie Lieu (U. Nottingham) 
Priyamvada Natarajan (Yale)
Michelle Ntampaka (STScI)
Masamune Oguri (IPMU)
Annalisa Pillepich (MPIA)
Elena Rasia (INAF-Trieste)
Laura Salvati (U. Paris-Saclay/INAF-Trieste)
Michael Strauss (Princeton)
Kim-Vy Tran (UNSW)
Keiichi Umetsu (ASIAA)
John ZuHone (CfA)

Please check symposium website for additional invited speakers not confirmed as of today. 
The Symposium website link is: https://www.stsci.edu/events/galaxy-clusters-2022.

transmis par S. Boissier



5. “What matter(s) around galaxies 2022” conference (September 12th-16th 2022, Ayas Valley, Italy)
The organizing committee would like to invite you to join the conference “What matter(s) around galaxies 2022: connecting the dots between the circumgalactic medium and the larger-scale environment” which will take place on September 12th-16th 2022 at the Centro SPA Monterosa in the picturesque Ayas Valley in Italy.

This conference will gather experts to discuss the relationship between the circumgalactic medium, galaxies, and the wider environment, with a focus on the following key questions:

  1. What is the interplay between the CGM and galaxies as a function of redshift?
  2. How does the galaxy environment influence the properties and the evolution of the multiphase CGM?
  3. What is the impact of the CGM and surrounding environment on the future (star formation / nuclear) activity of galaxies? 

The full scientific rationale can be found on the conference website. 

Pre-registration and abstract submission is now open via the conference website (https://sites.google.com/unimib.it/gas2022) and will close on 20th March 2022. For further information (e.g., conference fees and information about travels and the venue), please see the “logistics” page or contact us at gas2022@unimib.it

We hope this will be an in-person event, but due to the current uncertainty surrounding the covid-19 pandemic, we will keep monitoring the situation and allow for online contributions should it be impossible for some speakers to travel at the time of the meeting. We also note that in-person attendance will be subject to laws and regulations in force at the time of the event, which could include submitting evidence of a negative covid-19 test or vaccination. The organizers are committed to providing a friendly and safe environment where diversity and inclusivity are valued. We ask all participants to read and abide by the code of conduct and covid-19 protocol

The organizing committee 

  • Michele Fumagalli 
  • Alejandro Benitez Llambay 
  • Sebastiano Cantalupo
  • Rajeshwari Dutta
  • Matteo Fossati 
  • Emma Lofthouse 
  • Alessia Longobardi
  • Louise Welsh

Transmis par M. Fumagalli



6. Postdoc position on the statistical charaterization of the 21-cm signal from the Epoch of Reionization (LERMA-LPENS, France)
Deadline: applications will be accepted until the position is filled

Context and project:
The LERMA at Observatoire de Paris and the astrophysics group at LPENS are seeking candidates for a post-doctoral position funded by the “Initiative Physique des Infinis” at Sorbonne Université on the development of novel statistical characterizations of the 21-cm signal from the Cosmic Dawn (CD) and Epoch of reionization (EoR).

The team at LERMA has a strong expertise in the numerical modelling of the 21-cm signal from the CD-EoR while the team at LPENS has been developing novel statistical techniques based on Scattering Transforms for several years and applied them to astrophysical problems. Both teams are members of the Cosmic Dawn Key project on the NenuFAR radio-interferometer (https://nenufar.obs-nancay.fr).

The goal of the project is to explore the uses of the various flavors of scattering transforms to characterize the 21-cm signal, including non-gaussianity. Such novel summary statistics have potential in multiple applications such as in the foregrounds-signal separation or as a metric in the inference of the signal’s underlying model parameters. An application to the CD-EoR data from NenuFAR is intented.

Profile of the candidates:
The candidate will either be a cosmologist with expertise in statistical inference methods and some familiarity with the 21-cm signal science, or a data scientist with preferably previous experience in applying data science methods to astronomical data. He/she will play a federating role between the two teams.

Practical considerations:
The appointment is for 2 years with a possible extension to 3 years. The offer includes French social security benefits and funding for travel.
Applicants should submit a CV (max. 2 pages), a letter in intent, publication list, and two letters of recommendation. Applications should be sent via email to benoit.semelin@obspm.fr and francois.boulanger@phys.ens.fr. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. The contract will have to start no later than 22 Dec 2022.
transmis par B. Semelin



7. Postdoc Position in Cosmology at IAP

Deadline: 15 of January 2022

The Institut d’Astrophysique de Paris (IAP) invites applications for postdoctoral positions in cosmology to work with Dr. Silvia Galli and her research group funded by the ERC-Consolidator grant NEUCosmoS. The goal of this project is the data-analysis of one of the leading CMB ground-based experiments, the South Pole Telescope.
The postdoc will focus on the theoretical interpretation of the SPT data. In particular, he/she will analyse the implications of the observations on different cosmological models and will study the consistency of the results with the findings of other cosmological probes. The postdoctoral research will take place in tight connection with the SPT collaborators at the University of Chicago and at other partner institutions. Applicants with a strong background in theoretical, computational or statistical cosmology and with experience in theoretical modelling and/or in the data analysis of cosmological observables are particularly invited to apply.
We are seeking to fill a position of 3 year duration (2 years extendable, depending on performance). The start date is flexible within fall 2022. Salary will be commensurate with experience, and a generous travel budget is included in the positions.
Applicants should submit a CV (max. 2 pages) with a publication list, a short review of previous works plus statement of research interests (max. 4 pages) and a cover letter briefly explaining why they are interested in this position (max 1 page) through the website, where additional information is also provided:

https://emploi.cnrs.fr/Offres/CDD/UMR7095-SILGAL-004/Default.aspx?lang=EN

Up to three recommendation letters should be sent directly to Dr. Galli gallis@iap.fr . For full consideration, the application and recommendation letters must be received before January 15th, 2022 (for administrative reasons, an earlier deadline is displayed on the webpage, but it will be extended to the 15th of January).
Additional enquiries about the position can be sent to Silvia Galli (gallis@iap.fr).
transmis par S. Galli



8. Postdoc position at ITP Heidelberg

Deadline: end of December

A postdoc position is available at the Institute for Theoretical Physics (Heidelberg University), to collaborate with the group of Luca Amendola on theoretical cosmology and Euclid science.
https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/20016
transmis par L. Amendola



9. Scientific Computing Engineer to work on SGS OU-SIR (IP2I, Lyon)

Deadline: lundi 27 décembre 2021

The Institut de Physique des deux Infinis based in Lyon (France) is recruiting an engineer to work on OU-SIR. 
Details can be found on https://emploi.cnrs.fr/Offres/CDD/UAR6402-CHRDUR-128/Default.aspx.
transmis par Y. Copin



10. Eight postdoc positions at Stockholm University

Deadline: January 15

The Oskar Klein Centre for Cosmoparticle Physics at Stockholm University is announcing nine postdoctoral research positions addressing fundamental questions about the Universe. The Centre houses research groups from Stockholm University and KTH Royal Institute of Technology. The Centre hosts a vibrant research programme on dark matter, dark energy, transient and multimessenger astrophysics, galaxy evolution, structure formation, and related particle physics questions, including LHC-based studies. Theoretical activities at the Centre include particle and astroparticle phenomenology, neutrino theory, gravitation and string theory. Postdoctoral associates are also welcome to participate in Scientific Programs at Nordita, the Nordic Institute for Theoretical Physics, which bring together groups of leading experts to work on specific topics for extended periods.
Postdoctoral positions are available in the following areas: 

  • Machine-learning the Universe’s Initial Conditions: 
    a position to work with Jens Jasche on developing and applying novel statistical data analysis and machine learning methods to reconstruct the origin of cosmic structure from galaxy survey data. The position will be part of the newly-founded Learning the Universe collaboration. Deadline: 15 Jan 2022
  • Modelling and Machine Learning for LSST: 
    up to three positions to work with Hiranya Peiris on computational modelling and/or advanced statistical and machine learning methods for cosmology with large photometric surveys, specifically LSST. Theoretical physicists interested in the foundations of deep learning will also be considered. Deadline: 15 Jan 2022
  • Instrumentation and Data Analysis for CMB experiments: 
    a position to work with Jon Gudmundsson on novel research in instrumentation, simulation, and data analysis for experiments studying the cosmic microwave background (CMB), including SPIDER, the Simons Observatory, the LiteBIRD satellite, and CMB-S4. Deadline: 15 Jan 2022
  • Precision Cosmology with Type Ia Supernovae: 
    the position involves original research with Ariel Goobar on precision calibration of Type Ia supernova photometry from ZTF and LSST, with the aim of testing fundamental physics and cosmology. Collaborative work is expected with members of ZTF and LSST groups, especially in developing image processing techniques. Deadline: 15 Jan 2022
  • Modelling and Interpreting Supernova/Kilonova Spectra: 
    the position is in the group of Anders Jerkstrand, and involves developing and applying tools to model transient light curves and spectra. These models are then used to infer properties of supernovae/kilonovae, in particular their nucleosynthesis production. Deadline: 15 Jan 2022
  • Observations of Exotic Supernovae: 
    a position to work with Ragnhild Lunnan on the identification, follow-up, and analysis of unusual supernovae from ZTF and LSST, with the goals of understanding the underlying explosion physics and progenitor star populations. Deadline: 15 Jan 2022

Contact details and the application procedure for each set of positions can be found in the individual links above. For general information you may also contact the Director of the Oskar Klein Centre, Hiranya Peiris
transmis par J. Gudmundsson


Envoyez svp vos propositions d’annonces à l’adresse : pncg@iap.fr
Pour gérer votre abonnement à la liste PNCG: https://listes.services.cnrs.fr/wws/info/pncg