Research Technician

Duties and Responsibilities

• Data reduction: joint astrometry of Chandra, NuSTAR, and XMM-Newton observations and the extraction of data products including lightcurves, images, spectra, and response files. May also include optical or ultraviolet observations from Hubble and Swift.
• Imaging and variability: analysis of the spatial emission structure of relevant datasets, including the relative brightness and morphology of core, jet, and surrounding regions. Search for changes in intensity on different timescales.
• Spectroscopy: separate and joint spectral analysis of spatially resolved emission regions using X-ray and optical/UV datasets. Determination of the intensity and spectral shape for different regions over time.
• Multiwavelegth modeling: collaborate with partners from the Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration to produce and model the multiwavelength spectral energy energy distribution.
• Presentation: The results are expected to be published in peer-reviewed journals, and it is expected that the employee will play a role in these publications including preparation of figures and writing text.
• Meetings with team and group members to clarify work, define tasks, and present/discuss results.

Minimum Qualifications

• Formal Education Bachelor’s degree in physics or related area
• Work Experience 1-2 years’ experience required; relevant classroom experience may be considered in lieu of professional work experience.
• Work Skills (e.g., written and verbal communication skills) Familiarity with technical writing, facility of communication with faculty and students
• Specific Job Knowledge (e.g., knowledge of principles and procedures related to field and area) Fundamental undergraduate physics; electronic transport measurements; computer programming and interfacing; data analysis; general laboratory safety
• Equipment Knowledge General electronics operation; soldering iron; optical microscope; electronics test equipment (voltmeters, oscilloscopes, detectors); general hardware tools.

Preferred Qualifications

• Formal Education Master’s or Doctoral degree in physics or related area
• Work Experience 3+ years of physics research experience
• Specific Job Knowledge (e.g., knowledge of principles and procedures related to field and area) Minimum requirements plus knowledge of van der Waals materials exfoliation and assembly; solid state physics; spectroscopy and microwave measurements; microfabrication in clean room facilities; cryogenic measurements; microwave signals; CAD (DesignCAD, LayoutEditor, or similar)
• Equipment Knowledge Minimum requirements plus knowledge of some/all of the following: atomic force microscope, electron beam lithography machines, reactive ion etchers, plasma etchers, metal deposition chambers, various cryostats, vacuum chambers, Raman spectrometers
• Other Previous experience performing experiments as users at a National Lab