UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD
DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS

Postdoctoral Researcher

Grade 7: Salary £28,839 - £35,469 (with discretionary range to £38,757 p.a.)

Applications are invited for a Postdoctoral Research Assistant position in the Planetary Atmospheres Data Analysis Group within the sub-Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic & Planetary Physics. The successful applicant will assist in the observations of outer planet atmospheres from Cassini/CIRS and ground-based telescopes and interpret these data with sophisticated radiative transfer and retrieval models.

The Cassini mission arrived in orbit in the Saturnian system in 2004. One of the instruments carried by Cassini is the Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS), which is currently observing the infrared spectra of Saturn and Titan, and previously observed Jupiter during Cassini.s flyby in 2000. Analysis of these data by the Oxford Planetary Atmospheres Data Analysis Group has greatly improved our understanding of these atmospheres and the CIRS instrument continues to function outstandingly. With sunlight due to return to the north polar regions of Saturn and Titan this summer (August 2009), it is expected that rapid changes will occur in these planets. north polar vortices, which will be uniquely observed by the CIRS instrument.

In addition to assisting with the analysis of the CIRS data, the successful applicant will also assist in planning new CIRS observations, assist in a program of ground-based observations of the giant planets and also help plan and design future spacecraft missions.

Applicants should have a doctorate in atmospheric science or a related field and have good computer skills (knowledge of UNIX/Linux, IDL and FORTRAN would be highly advantageous). The candidate should have some experience in data analysis, inverse methods and ideally also have some experience of radiative transfer modelling and atmospheric physics. The post is available for two years in the first instance.

For further information and details on how to apply please see our website at http://www.atm.ox.ac.uk/main/AOPP/DC09004.pdf. The closing date for this post is 19 June 2009. Please quote reference number DC09/004 on all correspondence. The University is an equal opportunities employer.