Radio data analysis pipelines and the Upgraded GMRT archive: Towards the SKA

The National Centre for Radio Astrophysics, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (NCRA-TIFR) is seeking a postdoctoral fellow to work on radio data analysis pipelines and GMRT archival data analysis. The successful candidate will work with Ruta Kale and Yogesh Wadadekar at NCRA-TIFR.

This position will be part of a larger project, titled "Building Indo-UK Collaborations Towards the Square Kilometre Array", funded under the DAE-STFC Technology and Skills Programme 2023. The work will focus on enabling and carrying out cutting-edge science using Square Kilometre Array (SKA) Observatory pathfinders, including the GMRT. The project also aims to address common data processing challenges and to develop advanced cosmological simulations which will help develop and grow the proto-SKA regional centres, in both the UK and India.

The GMRT Archive holds all interferometric data obtained with the GMRT since 2002. In this project, we aim to process, with an automated pipeline, a significant fraction of the data in the upgraded GMRT archive, to produce a large number of near-science-ready images and catalogues that will be publicly released.

For this project, the candidate is expected to have a background in GMRT interferometric data analysis with AIPS and CASA, and programming experience in Python. Experience with any of the GMRT data analysis pipelines such as SPAM or CAPTURE, or other interferometric data analysis pipelines for LOFAR, MeerKAT, etc, is essential. Experience with the application of machine learning techniques to the classification of radio continuum images and with the setting up and system administration of a Linux cluster is desirable. The candidate will work on profiling and optimising the pipeline for archival data analysis, at scale. The candidate will be expected to do synergistic science using LoTSS and uGMRT data in the fields of galaxy clusters, large area surveys, radio galaxies, etc.

Research activities at NCRA-TIFR are centred on low-frequency radio astronomy, with faculty members pursuing research in diverse areas of astrophysics. NCRA-TIFR operates two large observational facilities, the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope and the Ooty Radio Telescope.

Applications containing a curriculum vitae, a research plan, and the names and e-mail addresses of three or more referees should be sent to the Dean, NCRA-TIFR Faculty, at the e-mail address dean_nf@ncra.tifr.res.in, by May 31, 2024. Applicants should also request their referees to send in recommendation letters by the same deadline. All enquiries should also be made to this e-mail address. All applicants will automatically be considered for all available Post-Doctoral Fellowships at NCRA-TIFR.

The monthly salary of Post-Doctoral Fellows at NCRA-TIFR depends on experience after the doctoral degree. Candidates are required to have at least a provisional Ph.D. degree when taking up the position. For candidates who have received their doctoral degrees, the monthly salary ranges from INR 58,000 to INR 67,000, depending on experience. Post-doctoral fellows are also entitled to a contingency grant of INR 40,000 per year. All project post-doctoral positions are tenable for a maximum of 3 years, with continuations subject to a yearly review.

Post-doctoral Fellows at NCRA-TIFR are provided a travel grant of INR 3,00,000 over the course of the fellowship to enable them to travel for international conferences or for research collaborations. They are also entitled to a house rent allowance, and medical coverage under NCRA-TIFR's medical scheme.