Position Description

We invite applications for a postdoctoral researcher to work on the simulation-based modelling of massive and intermediate mass black hole binaries from cosmological scales  to sub-pc scales prior to the onset of the GW-driven in-spiral phase. The goal is to develop a new multi-physics simulation framework by combining state-of-the-art N-Body + hydrodynamical/MHD simulations carried out at different scales with advanced machine learning techniques to design emulators of processes acting at a sub-grid level. The ultimate aim is to develop a new robust forecast model for event rates and distribution of properties of binaries in the LISA and Einstein Telescope bands. We seek candidates with deep expertise in cosmological  hydrodynamical simulations of galaxies and black holes, formation scenarios for massive and intermediate mass black holes,  and/or small scale simulations of disk-embedded  binaries and astrophysical disks.

The postdoc will be based at the Center for Theoretical Astrophysics and Cosmology of the Institute of Computational Science  (ICS) at the University of Zurich, and collaborate with several PhD students and postdocs working on advanced numerical and semi-numerical codes and models in the group of the ICS Director, Prof. Lucio Mayer. She/he will collaborate with another postdoctoral fellow to be hired  inside the GWlearn collaboration framework, who will be based at the Institute of Machine Learning at ETH Zurich (Prof. Thomas Hoffman's group). Members in Mayer's group develop and/or utilize several mult-purpose particle-based as well as grid-based parallel codes (PKDGRAV3, ChaNGa, GIZMO, DISCO), including the new Exascale SPH code  SPH-EXA, which is part of a swiss-wide collaboration with the National Supercomputing Center (CSCS). Access to top-notch supercomputing facilities is guaranteed with a long-term partnership with CSCS through dedicated node hours on both CPU and GPU platforms, such as the Alps/Eiger Cray supercomputer.

The initial appointment will be for three years, with the possibility of an extension for an additional year.