The Texas A&M University astronomy group invites applications for a postdoctoral research position in time domain high energy astrophysics of AGN or AGN feedback. Applicants with experience in X-ray, gamma ray, or optical time domain astrophysics and/or optical IFU imaging and radio imaging are preferred.

The successful applicant will work in the research group of Professor Krista Lynne Smith. The group has active research efforts on two fronts: the high energy physics of accretion disks and blazar jets, primarily studied using multi-wavelength time domain data, and AGN feedback processes, primarily studied using X-ray, radio, and optical IFU imaging data. Successful recent proposals have yielded rich data sets from TESS, Swift, and NICER, as well as ground-based data from the JVLA and MUSE on the VLT.

The applicant is encouraged to develop their own research projects to make use of this and any other relevant archival data. Applicants who specialize in theoretical astrophysics wishing to use such data in the interpretation of their results are also welcome to apply. As part of the Smith research group, the successful applicant will participate actively in proposing for new data and mentoring graduate and undergraduate students in their own research and proposal efforts.

Over the past decade, Texas A&M has built an energetic extragalactic astronomy group with research activities spanning a wide range of areas. Texas A&M is an institutional member of the Dark Energy Survey (DES), the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT), the Hobby Eberly Telescope Dark Energy eXperiment (HETDEX), the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST), the Maunakea Spectroscopic Explorer (MSE), and the AST-3 project at Dome A in Antarctica. Astronomers in the group have a successful track record of obtaining time on JWST, HST, ALMA, Keck, Gemini, and Magellan. High performance research computing resources include three clusters at Texas A&M and access to the Lonestar5 cluster at the Texas Advanced Computing Center. Astronomy at Texas A&M is supported by the George P. and Cynthia Woods Mitchell Institute for Fundamental Physics and Astronomy.

The start date is flexible from September – December 2024. The appointment is for two years, with a third year contingent upon funding and performance. Applicants must have obtained a Ph.D. in astronomy or physics by the anticipated start date. Salary will be commensurate with experience. The position includes funding to support travel and other research activities. This is an in-person position located in College Station, Texas. Ability to work legally in the United States is required.

Applicants should submit a CV, list of publications, and a statement (maximum 5 pages) of current and future research plans and interests. Long-listed applicants will be contacted to provide a list of reference letter writers through Xref. Application materials should be submitted as a single PDF to https://jobs.tamu.edu for position R-068044 Postdoctoral Research Associate (ASTR). Consideration of applications will begin on January 15, 2024, and applications will continue to be considered until the position is filled. Applicants are also strongly encouraged to apply to the more broadly focused Texas A&M astronomy group postdoctoral positions under listing R-067989, also with application review beginning January 15, 2024. All applicants for the more broadly-focused position will also be considered for this listing.

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