Research Associate In Molecular Physics / Astrophysics

About us UCL is one of the world's top universities based in the heart of London. It is a modern, outward-looking institution. UCL's staff and former students have included 29 Nobel prize winners. It is a truly international community: more than one-third of our student body – more than 35,000 strong – come from 150 countries and nearly one-third of staff are from outside the UK. The ExoMol and TauREx teams at UCL are the world leaders in providing spectroscopic data and modelling tools for the characterisation of exoplanets and other atmospheres. About the role The STFC funded project “Modelling the non-LTE spectra of exoplanets” aims to develop a non-LTE functionality in the TauREx radiative transfer framework. While much of the study into exoplanet atmospheres assumes species to be in local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE), effects arising from non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (non-LTE) are known to be present and have been detected in Earth’s atmosphere and in the atmospheres of other solar system planets. The project will be based on the extensive expertise of the UCL ExoMol team in the production and provision of the molecular spectroscopic data and of the UCL TauREx team in the atmospheric modelling and retrievals of the exoplanetary spectra. We are looking for a Research Associate to work on the following tasks: (i) implementation of an efficient solver of statistical equilibrium towards the on-the-fly reconstruction of individual rotation-vibration-electronic populations of molecules; (ii) producti! on of lin e lists for molecules important for non-LTE applications and (iii) development and implementation of a new data format for state dependent absorption cross sections and collision rates to enable efficient non-LTE retrieval applications in exoplanetary atmospheric studies. This position is funded for 34 months in the first instance and will start on 1st of April 2024 or soon afterwards. The full application process, including Job Description and Person Specification, can be found on the UCL job site. About you The successful applicant will have a PhD in Physics, Chemistry or Astronomy or closely related subject. They should have a strong background in Molecular quantum mechanics; some knowledge of molecular spectroscopy and good programming skills are desirable. Candidates should also have excellent written and verbal communication. Knowledge of python is desirable. What we offer At UCL, we offer a competitive benefits package including 27 days annual leave plus six days (bank holidays are in addition), hybrid and flexible working, pension scheme, season ticket loan, cycle to work scheme, enhanced maternity/ paternity/ adoption pay, workplace nursery, employee assistance programme and much more! For more information on our benefits, please visit our staff benefits webpage. We will consider applications to work on a part-time, flexible and job share basis wherever possible. Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion At London’s Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation, and we want our community to represent the diversity of the world’s talent. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong. We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be under-represented in UCL’s workforce. These include people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds; disabled people; LGBTQI+ people; and for our Grade 9 and 10 roles, women.