The Director of the Center for Theoretical Physics PAS announces a competition for one Scholar-PhD Student position at the CTP PAS, within the research project Weave-UNISONO „Lensing of electromagnetic and gravitational waves”, financed by the National Science Center (GA no. UMO-2024/06/Y/ST2/00190), and within the Geoplanet doctoral school. The project’s leader is dr hab. Mikołaj Korzyński. The research will be conducted in collaboration with the group of Dr. Marius Oancea from the University of Vienna.
The aims of the project are:
- Optical drift effects close to caustics: investigating the effects of lens, observer and source transverse motion in strong gravitational lensing, for objects near caustics,
- Lensing of gravitational waves by strong gravitational fields: computing lensed gravitational waveforms originating from sources in strong-gravity environments,
- Computing the effects of propagation of waves in curved spacetimes beyond geometric optics using the Wigner function approach.
The scope of work of the successful Candidates will be pursuing their PhD project at CTP PAS and within the Geoplanet doctoral school. The scope of the project involves
- Developing software for raytracing of gravitational waves in strong gravitational fields,
- Computing the waveforms from binary black hole systems,
- Theoretical research on wave propagation in curved spacetimes.
We expect the Candidates to have:
- MSc in physics, astronomy or compatible,
- Good programming skills and experience in numerical methods,
- Independence and creativity in problem solving.
Knowledge of general relativity would be welcome.
The application must include:
- The scientific CV, including the progress in the university studies and transcript of records with grades, scientific achievements (publications, participation in research projects and conferences), with the clause „I agree to the processing of my personal data contained in the application documents for the purposes necessary for the implementation of the process recruitment by the doctoral school GeoPlanet”
- Cover letter.
- A copy of the Master’s degree diploma, or a statement from the Candidate’s MSc Advisor about the planned date of diploma obtaining
- Copies of documents confirming scientific or professional achievements, including documents confirming English language proficiency (if you have any)
- The applicant should arrange at least one letter of recommendation concerning the candidate and his/her current scientific activity to be sent to rekrutacja@cft.edu.pl from a researcher with at least a PhD degree.
- Application for admission to the Geoplanet doctoral school (Attachment no. 1, see full announcement below).
Documents should be sent via e-mail to rekrutacja@cft.edu.pl until 15 October 2025. In the e-mail’s title please add the reference number MK/16/2025. Selected Candidates will be invited to an interview, to be held in late October.
The scholarship will be awarded in accordance with the applicable laws in Poland and in accordance with the Resolution of the NCN Council no. 124/2022 of December 1, 2022, regarding the Regulations for the Awarding of NCN Scientific Scholarships in Research Projects Funded by the National Science Center, in the amount of 5200 PLN net for a period of four years (4035,66 PLN from the project and 1164,34 PLN bonus from the means of CTP PAS), being funded as part of the research project Weave-UNISONO „Lensing of electromagnetic and gravitational waves”, financed by the National Science Center based on grant agreement no. UMO-2024/06/Y/ST2/00190.
The competition will be settled by 31 October 2025. Candidates will be informed via email about the results of the competition. The starting date of the scholarship is scheduled for 1 November 2025.
Link to information on the GeoPlanet Doctoral School:
https://geoplanetschool.camk.edu.pl/doctoral-school/about-us/
If you have any questions, please send an e-mail to:korzynski@cft.edu.pl