Missions

The software engineering expert will participate in the prototyping and development of software and digital infrastructure for the identification, collection, and integration of external data, understood as all scientific data not directly collected by the mission, into the LISA data processing chains. These tasks are part of the upcoming LISA space mission, in which L2IT (Laboratoire des 2 Infini - Toulouse) and IRAP (Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie) are involved. Under the hierarchical responsibility of the team leader of the "computation, algorithms, and data" group at L2IT, the expert will work closely with the LISA teams from both L2IT and IRAP.

Activités

- Analyze the needs of researchers working on LISA and contribute to the development of the functional specifications of the project.
- Ensure the design of the solution through in-depth expertise and stay up to date with technological advancements.
- Test and verify the alignment of the solution with the needs of researchers in physics during the simulated data analysis campaigns organized by the LISA consortium.
- Define and ensure the monitoring of a quality assurance and control plan during development.
- Report on the progress of the work done; participate in and present at relevant meetings of the LISA consortium.
- Take responsibility for producing technical documentation to allow the evaluation of the technical solutions explored.

Compétences

- Proven experience in needs analysis, prototyping, and evaluating a technical solution (required).
- Proven knowledge in implementing a quality approach: methods, tools, standards, and procedures (required).
- Proven knowledge of at least one modern and efficient programming language (C++17, Python, Julia, ...) (required).
- Proven experience in the field of research (preferred).
- Experience in analyzing or using data collected from astronomical observations (preferred).
- Experience in collaborative work, preferably in an international environment (preferred).
- Ability to demonstrate pedagogy, provide support, and offer guidance (preferred).
- Ability to communicate and report through the writing of technical reports and associated scientific publications (required).
- Proficiency in technical English: level C1 according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (required).

Contexte de travail

The **Laboratoire des 2 Infinis - Toulouse (L2IT)** is a young and dynamic laboratory founded in 2020 to conduct fundamental research using new digital and theoretical approaches for data analysis. The laboratory's research focuses on particle physics, gravitational waves, and the equation of state of nuclear matter, supported by a complementary development of analysis methodologies and data science carried out by the “Computing, Algorithms, and Data” (CAD) team. The **Gravitational Waves (GW)** team at L2IT conducts research on both theoretical and experimental aspects of gravitational wave science, with a particular focus on exploiting new approaches linking theory, data analysis, and simulations to observations. The “GW” team is part of the **LISA consortium**, the **Virgo collaboration**, and the **Einstein Telescope Consortium**.

The tasks for this position are part of the scientific studies for the upcoming **LISA space mission**, carried out as part of a European effort that includes several ESA (European Space Agency) member states. The LISA space mission was adopted by ESA in January 2024, marking a turning point in the potential for discovery in the field of gravitational waves. LISA's objective is to observe gravitational waves in the mHz frequency band, opening a new window on astrophysics of the distant universe. External data, meaning all scientific data not directly collected by LISA, will be used at multiple levels in the LISA data processing. For instance, electromagnetic (EM) data will be used for "verification binaries" (such as data from GAIA) or other gravitational wave data for "multi-band" analyses (e.g., from the LIGO/Virgo/KAGRA network). Additionally, the production of public catalogs will benefit from additional information provided by EM counterparts (such as those from Athena) or large-scale structure and galaxy catalogs (e.g., from Euclid).

The recruited person will work on prototyping and developing software for the identification, collection, and integration of external data necessary for LISA data analysis chains, with the goal of helping LISA teams meet mission quality constraints and the development schedule of the **LISA Distributed Data Processing Center (DDPC)**. To achieve this, they will work closely with the LISA teams from L2IT and IRAP, which are jointly responsible for the **External Data Work Package (WP)** of the DDPC, as well as with the LISA teams of the scientific ground segment of **CNES** (French Space Agency), which oversees the DDPC. The L2IT, IRAP, and CNES are all located within walking distance of each other on the same scientific campus. The recruited person will need to spend regular time at IRAP and CNES to work with their LISA teams. Coordination with other actors of the DDPC will also be required.

Contraintes et risques

Travel within France and abroad is to be expected.