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Cavendish Astrophysics

 

Wed 16 Jul 13:15: Chasing the First Stars With Outliers

Upcoming talks - Mon, 14/07/2025 - 07:25
Chasing the First Stars With Outliers

he OUTLIERS project aims to find and study the most ancient stars in our Galaxy — stars that formed shortly after the Big Bang. These stars carry unique chemical fingerprints that tell us about the very first generations of stars, the first supernovae, and the early stages of galaxy formation. Although extremely rare and faint, they can still be found today thanks to the combined power of Gaia — which maps the positions and motions of over a billion stars — and new large spectroscopic surveys like DESI , WEAVE, and 4MOST. OUTLIERS uses this data to select and follow up the most promising candidates. By studying these stellar fossils in detail, we hope to answer long-standing questions about how the first stars formed, what elements they created, and how the Universe evolved in its earliest phases.

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Research Associate (Fixed Term)

Department of Physics Jobs - Fri, 11/07/2025 - 01:00

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are for 12 months, starting on 1st October 2025.

A position exists for a Research Associate in the Physics and Chemistry of Solids research group at the Cavendish Laboratory (Physics Department).

The aim of the role is to explore damage characterisation of composite and related materials by quantifying the relationship between damage causal metrics and damage extend or mechanism.

During the 12-month period of the contract, the successful candidate will undertake the following research activities:

  • Selection and acquisition/preparation of materials to be studied
  • Application of damage to the prepared samples over a range of temperatures and strain rates, extracting quantitative causal metrics.
  • Characterisation of damage, using X-ray computed tomography and mechanical testing for measurement of the residual strength of the samples post-damage, extracting quantitative damage metrics.
  • Identification of the relationship between the causal and damage metrics.
  • Production of a report to communicate the important findings to the community of interest, with the potential for presenting the outcome in a relevant conference.

The role holder will have the opportunity to use new, state-of-the-art X-ray computed tomography equipment, which will be part of the Collaborative R&D Environment (CORDE) in the Ray Dolby Centre of the Cavendish Laboratory. They will collaborate with specialist technicians within the facility, fellow researchers in the PCS group, and non-academic partners within the community of interest.

Appointment at Research Associate is dependent on having a PhD including those who have submitted but not yet received their PhD and those who are in the process of submitting their PhD thesis (in which case appointment will initially be made at research assistant, Grade 5, and amended to research associate when the PhD is awarded). On receipt of PhD award, the appointee will move to Grade 7.

The ideal candidate will have a background in damage characterisation. Essential prerequisites include experience using X-ray computed tomography and laboratory experience including chemical, x-ray, cryogen, compressed gasses safety and training records. Knowledge of image processing techniques and relevant programming languages that facilitate these, is also essential.

The post holder will be located at the Ray Dolby Centre, Cavendish Laboratory 19 JJ Thomson Avenue Cambridge CB3 0US, UK.

Salary Ranges: Research Assistant £34,132 (Grade 5) or Research Associate £37,174- £45,413 (Grade 7).

Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.

Please ensure that you upload your Curriculum Vitae (CV) and a covering letter, in the upload section of the online application. If you upload any additional documents which have not been requested, we will not be able to consider these as part of your application. Please submit your application by midnight on the closing date.

Please be advised that references will be required in advance of interviews, for longlisted candidates.

If you have any questions about this vacancy please contact Dr Malvina Constantinou (mc954@cam.ac.uk). If you have any questions about the application process, please contact hr@phy.cam.ac.uk.

Please quote reference KA46597 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

Wed 09 Jul 13:15: Double black hole mergers in nuclear star clusters: eccentricities, spins, masses, and the growth of massive seeds

Upcoming talks - Tue, 08/07/2025 - 09:58
Double black hole mergers in nuclear star clusters: eccentricities, spins, masses, and the growth of massive seeds

We investigate the formation of intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs) through hierarchical mergers of stellar-origin black holes (BHs), as well as BH mergers formed dynamically in nuclear star clusters. Using a semi-analytical approach that incorporates probabilistic, mass-function–dependent double-BH (DBH) pairing, binary–single encounters, and a mass-ratio–dependent prescription for energy dissipation in hardening binaries, we find that IMB Hs with masses of order 10²–10⁴ M⊙ can be formed solely through hierarchical mergers on timescales of a few hundred Myr to a few Gyr. Clusters with escape velocities ≳ 400 km s⁻¹ inevitably form high-mass IMB Hs. The spin distribution of IMB Hs with masses ≳ 10³ M⊙ is strongly clustered at χ ≈ 0.15, while for lower masses it peaks at χ ≈ 0.7. Eccentric mergers are more frequent for equal-mass binaries containing first- and second-generation BHs. Metal-rich, young, dense clusters can produce up to 20 of their DBH mergers with eccentricity ≥ 0.1 at 10 Hz, and ~ 2–9 of all in-cluster mergers form at > 10 Hz. Nuclear star clusters are therefore promising environments for the formation of highly eccentric DBH mergers, detectable with current gravitational-wave detectors. Clusters of extreme mass (∼ 10⁸ M⊙) and density (∼ 10⁸ M⊙ pc⁻³) can have about half of their DBH mergers with primary masses ≥ 100 M⊙. The fraction of in-cluster mergers increases rapidly with increasing escape velocity, approaching unity for Vesc ≳ 200 km s⁻¹. The cosmological DBH merger rate from nuclear clusters varies from ≲ 0.01 to 1 Gpc⁻³ yr⁻¹, where the large uncertainties stem from cluster initial conditions, number-density distributions, and the redshift evolution of nucleated galaxies.

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Fri 24 Oct 11:30: Title to be confirmed

Upcoming talks - Mon, 07/07/2025 - 14:30
Title to be confirmed

Abstract not available

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Finance Assistant

Department of Physics Jobs - Mon, 07/07/2025 - 01:00

The Department of Physics is looking for a Finance Assistant to join their friendly team during an exciting period. The Department has recently taken occupancy of its new, state of the art, research facility, the Ray Dolby Centre.

We are based on the West Cambridge site and the role supports the finance administration needs of the Department of Physics.

The successful candidate will primarily support the AP Accounts Payable and expense processing function within the Physics Department. Other responsibilities will include, but are not limited to; carrying out financial management and reporting activities on both general ledger accounts and research grants; provide financial advice to budget holders; assist with month-end, half year-end and year-end processes; ensure recharges and expenses are processed in a timely manner; contribute to the review of financial processes and procedures to ensure compliance with the University's Financial Regulations and cover for other Finance staff when required.

The ideal candidate will be educated to GCSE level (or equivalent qualification) in Maths and English, and have experience in an accounts-based role, with use of accountancy software packages and relevant reporting tools. You will have intermediate to advanced Excel skills in data manipulation and the presentation of financial information, good numerical problem-solving skills, attention to detail, as well as accuracy and the ability to work to tight deadlines.

In return we offer a competitive salary, generous annual leave entitlement (36 days inclusive of bank holidays), a wide range of benefits known as CAMbens, family friendly policies to help maintain the work-life balance as well as development opportunities.

We welcome applications from individuals who wish to be considered for part-time working or other flexible working arrangements.

Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.

Informal enquiries are welcomed and should be directed to Paul Game at finance.advisor@phy.cam.ac.uk

Please quote reference KA46504 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

Tue 08 Jul 11:15: Optimizing Data Delivery and Scalable HI Profile Classification for the SKA Era: Infrastructure and Science Challenges at the Spanish SRC

Upcoming talks - Thu, 03/07/2025 - 11:17
Optimizing Data Delivery and Scalable HI Profile Classification for the SKA Era: Infrastructure and Science Challenges at the Spanish SRC

This talk presents ongoing work at the Spanish SKA Regional Centre (esSRC) in the context of the SRC Net 0.1. The first part focuses on the development of efficient data delivery techniques from the distributed Rucio-based storage system to the SRC infrastructure and, ultimately, to user workspaces. Several approaches have been evaluated to support science-ready access, yet current solutions often involve unnecessary data duplication in user areas, resulting in increased usage of storage and computational resources. To address this, we have prototyped mechanisms based on file linking, caching, and data reuse, enabling more efficient access paths for users. While these methods show promising improvements in terms of performance and resource usage, challenges remain, particularly in terms of orchestration, scalability, and compatibility with existing workload managers. The second part presents advances in the automated classification of neutral hydrogen (HI) profiles using machine learning methods, building on previous work [Parra et al., 2024, arXiv:2501.11657]. We outline a roadmap for extending these techniques to handle the data volumes expected from the SKA Observatory. This includes developing scalable pipelines capable of ingesting and processing large spectral datasets in a reproducible and efficient manner, and adapting the classification models to cope with the diversity and complexity of the SKA data products.

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Tue 01 Jul 13:15: Double black hole mergers in nuclear star clusters: eccentricities, spins, masses, and the growth of massive seeds

Upcoming talks - Tue, 01/07/2025 - 14:02
Double black hole mergers in nuclear star clusters: eccentricities, spins, masses, and the growth of massive seeds

We investigate the formation of intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs) through hierarchical mergers of stellar-origin black holes (BHs), as well as BH mergers formed dynamically in nuclear star clusters. Using a semi-analytical approach that incorporates probabilistic, mass-function–dependent double-BH (DBH) pairing, binary–single encounters, and a mass-ratio–dependent prescription for energy dissipation in hardening binaries, we find that IMB Hs with masses of order 10²–10⁴ M⊙ can be formed solely through hierarchical mergers on timescales of a few hundred Myr to a few Gyr. Clusters with escape velocities ≳ 400 km s⁻¹ inevitably form high-mass IMB Hs. The spin distribution of IMB Hs with masses ≳ 10³ M⊙ is strongly clustered at χ ≈ 0.15, while for lower masses it peaks at χ ≈ 0.7. Eccentric mergers are more frequent for equal-mass binaries containing first- and second-generation BHs. Metal-rich, young, dense clusters can produce up to 20 of their DBH mergers with eccentricity ≥ 0.1 at 10 Hz, and ~ 2–9 of all in-cluster mergers form at > 10 Hz. Nuclear star clusters are therefore promising environments for the formation of highly eccentric DBH mergers, detectable with current gravitational-wave detectors. Clusters of extreme mass (∼ 10⁸ M⊙) and density (∼ 10⁸ M⊙ pc⁻³) can have about half of their DBH mergers with primary masses ≥ 100 M⊙. The fraction of in-cluster mergers increases rapidly with increasing escape velocity, approaching unity for Vesc ≳ 200 km s⁻¹. The cosmological DBH merger rate from nuclear clusters varies from ≲ 0.01 to 1 Gpc⁻³ yr⁻¹, where the large uncertainties stem from cluster initial conditions, number-density distributions, and the redshift evolution of nucleated galaxies.

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Project Biologist (Fixed Term)

Department of Physics Jobs - Fri, 27/06/2025 - 01:00

The Isaac Science project are looking for a biologist/biochemist who is passionate about teaching and widening participation at university to join the Isaac team. The role holder will work as part of the Isaac team of physicists, mathematicians, chemist and biologist, to support students nationally in raising their attainment and applications to research intensive universities. This is to be achieved through the Isaac Science free online platform and through a weekly programme of work and tutorials in our STEM SMART programme (https://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/stem-smart) which will develop a deeper understanding of biology and mathematical biology through problem solving.

As the project biologist, the role holder will be tasked with the production, quality assurance and delivery of online and print resources. Some source materials will be provided as a starting point and catalyst. They will develop resources to cover core topics within the school biology curriculum that are fundamental to future study in biology from key stage 4 through to university with direction from the senior project biologist and the assistant director of Isaac Science. They will be required to deliver online tutorials to both large (~500) and small groups (10) of students as well as prepare and deliver in person lectures.

It is essential that candidates have a degree in biology or biochemistry and experience of teaching at secondary to sixth form level (but need not necessarily have qualified teacher status or a PGCE). They will also ideally have taught students at university level and have detailed knowledge of the UK school curriculum and its content. It is vital that the role holder has an excellent eye for detail and accuracy but can also deliver to tight timescales and efficiently. Successful candidates will have excellent IT skills with significant experience of working with LaTeX, html, drawing packages such as Inkscape and video packages such as Camtasia.

The role is full-time and the role holder will ideally be in post by the beginning of January 2026. We are open to job sharing for this role, for example, two people working 0.5 FTE. The length of the contract is to 31st January 2029 in the first instance with a potential extension (subject to funding).

Shortlisted candidates will be expected to complete a pre-interview task and an in person task on the day of their interview. Interviews are scheduled to take place at the beginning of the week commencing 1st September 2025.

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available until 31 January 2029 in the first instance.

Once an offer of employment has been accepted, the successful candidate will be required to undergo an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check.

Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.

Informal enquires are welcome and should be directed to David Taylor (dst28@cam.ac.uk)

Please quote reference KA46442 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

Project Chemist (Fixed Term)

Department of Physics Jobs - Fri, 27/06/2025 - 01:00

The Isaac Science project are looking for a chemist/biochemist who is passionate about teaching and widening participation at university to join the Isaac team. The role holder will work as part of the Isaac team of physicists, mathematicians, chemist and biologist, to support students nationally in raising their attainment and applications to research intensive universities. This is to be achieved through the Isaac Science free online platform and through a weekly programme of work and tutorials in our STEM SMART programme (https://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/stem-smart) which will develop a deeper understanding of chemistry through problem solving.

As the project chemist, the role holder will be tasked with the production, quality assurance and delivery of online and print resources. Some source materials will be provided as a starting point and catalyst. They will develop resources to cover core topics within the school chemistry curriculum that are fundamental to future study in chemistry from key stage 4 through to university with direction from the senior project chemist and the assistant director of Isaac Science. They will be required to deliver online tutorials to both large (~500) and small groups (10) of students as well as prepare and deliver in person lectures.

It is essential that candidates have a degree in chemistry or biochemistry and experience of teaching at secondary to sixth form level (but need not necessarily have qualified teacher status or a PGCE). They will also ideally have taught students at university level and have detailed knowledge of the UK school curriculum and its content. It is vital that the role holder has an excellent eye for detail and accuracy but can also deliver to tight timescales and efficiently. Successful candidates will have excellent IT skills with significant experience of working with LaTeX, HTML, drawing packages such as Inkscape and video packages such as Camtasia.

The role is full-time and the role holder will ideally be in post by the beginning of January 2026. We are open to job sharing for this role, for example, two people working 0.5 FTE. The length of the contract is to 31st January 2029 in the first instance with a potential extension (subject to funding).

Shortlisted candidates will be expected to complete a pre-interview task and an in person task on the day of their interview. Interviews are scheduled to take place at the beginning of the week commencing 1st September 2025.

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available until 31 January 2029 in the first instance.

Once an offer of employment has been accepted, the successful candidate will be required to undergo an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check.

Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.

Informal enquires are welcome and should be directed to David Taylor (dst28@cam.ac.uk)

Please quote reference KA46443 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

Project Physicist (Fixed Term)

Department of Physics Jobs - Fri, 27/06/2025 - 01:00

The Isaac Science project are looking for a physicist who is passionate about teaching and widening participation at university to join the Isaac team. The role holder will work as part of the Isaac team of physicists, mathematicians, chemists and biologists, to support students nationally in raising their attainment and applications to research intensive universities. This is to be achieved through the Isaac Science free online platform and through a weekly programme of work and tutorials in our STEM SMART programme of work and tutorials in our STEM SMART programme (https://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/stem-smart) which will develop a deeper understanding of chemistry through problem solving.

As a project physicist, the role holder will be tasked with the production, quality assurance and delivery of online and print resources. They will develop resources to cover core topics within the school physics curriculum that are fundamental to future study in physics from key stage 3 through to university with direction from the assistant director of Isaac Science. They will be required to deliver online tutorials to both large (~500) and small groups (10) of students as well as prepare and deliver in person lectures.

This role holder will report to the associate director of Isaac Science and in addition to content development and delivery they will assist the associate director in event coordination and management, particularly with respect to the STEM SMART programme and residential.

It is essential that candidates have a degree in physics/engineering or applied mathematics and experience of teaching at secondary to sixth form level (but need not necessarily have qualified teacher status or a PGCE). They will also ideally have taught students at university level and have detailed knowledge of the UK school curriculum and its content. It is vital that the role holder has an excellent eye for detail and accuracy but can also deliver to tight timescales and efficiently. Successful candidates will have excellent IT skills with significant experience of working with LaTeX, html, drawing packages such as Inkscape and video packages such as Camtasia.

The role is full-time and the role holder will ideally be in post by the beginning of January 2026. We are open to job sharing for this role, for example, two people working 0.5 FTE. The length of the contract is to 31st January 2029 in the first instance with a potential extension (subject to funding).

Shortlisted candidates will be expected to complete a pre-interview task and an in person task on the day of their interview. Interviews are scheduled to take place at the beginning of the week commencing 1st September 2025.

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available until 31 January 2029 in the first instance.

Once an offer of employment has been accepted, the successful candidate will be required to undergo a health assessment and an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check.

Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.

Informal enquires are welcome and should be directed to David Taylor (dst28@cam.ac.uk)

Please quote reference KA46446 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

Tue 01 Jul 11:15: The Most Ambitious Radio Astronomy Endeavour of the 21st Century? Science, Technology and Engineering Dialogues in a Large-scale Project

Upcoming talks - Thu, 26/06/2025 - 15:19
The Most Ambitious Radio Astronomy Endeavour of the 21st Century? Science, Technology and Engineering Dialogues in a Large-scale Project

The presentation will open with some reflections on the early part of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project, where questions asked about engineering realities constraining science aspirations were raised. Early encounters between Scientists and Engineers considered Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) as one of the constraints. Some formative developments of this specific Radio Astronomy (RA) project, with a focus on the XDM , KAT7 and then MeerKAT in South Africa, will be introduced and related to unexpected RFI . The picture will then be widened to unpack an understanding of RFI and ElectroMagnetic Compatibility (EMC) for RA and science projects more generally. Two European examples will be considered. A short diversion into the language that EMC engineers use in RFI and what RA presents as uv-plane data will be taken.

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Tue 01 Jul 11:15: Title TBC

Upcoming talks - Thu, 26/06/2025 - 10:59
Title TBC

The presentation will open with some reflections on the early part of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project, where questions asked about engineering realities constraining science aspirations were raised. Early encounters between Scientists and Engineers considered Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) as one of the constraints. Some formative developments of this specific Radio Astronomy (RA) project, with a focus on the XDM , KAT7 and then MeerKAT in South Africa, will be introduced and related to unexpected RFI . The picture will then be widened to unpack an understanding of RFI and ElectroMagnetic Compatibility (EMC) for RA and science projects more generally. Two European examples will be considered. A short diversion into the language that EMC engineers use in RFI and what RA presents as uv-plane data will be taken.

Add to your calendar or Include in your list