Missions

In 2027, the Coronagraph Instrument on the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope (RST) will provide the very first images of mature giant exoplanets and circumstellar disks in reflected light in the visible. This unique science will be enabled by reaching contrast levels of a few 10-9, 2 to 3 orders of magnitude better than current state-of-the-art instrumentation, thanks to the combination of several high-contrast imaging technologies in space for the very first time. Beyond the initial technology demonstration phase, the Roman Coronagraph is expected to enable ground-breaking science and offer unique science opportunities to the community. The Community Participation Program (CPP) team, led by JPL, is currently in charge of preparing the target list, observations, planning tools, data simulation and reduction pipelines, and tools to support for the base observing modes. It will provide the community with all the information and tools needed to make the best out of the public Roman Coronagraph data, and to enable additional science observations through a guest observer program if the technology demonstration is successful.
CNES is one of the leading international partners of NASA for the Roman mission and its coronagraph. As such, France has a permanent representative in the CPP and several members of the French community are actively participating to the CPP activities. The successful candidate will officially join the CPP and will be directly involved in the preparation of the mission up to the launch and during the subsequent commissioning phase. Part of the work (~30%) will be focused on a contribution to the CPP-defined priorities, which are currently to provide a full support for the baseline imaging mode (hybrid Lyot coronagraph). The rest of the work will also concern the preparation of the Roman Coronagraph but will be more open depending on the applicant's profile and areas of interest. It may revolve around the astrophysical or technical preparation of the mission, or both:
• Astrophysical preparation: target selection, preparatory observations, atmospheric modelling, development of tools for the data analysis and interpretation of visible light exoplanet data, orbital analysis, …
• Technical preparation: support for the low-resolution spectroscopy mode or other “best-effort” modes, pipeline development, instrumental modelling, end-to-end instrumental simulations, work on the calibration plan, …
The Roman Coronagraph being preparatory for the Habitable World Observatory (HWO), some of the activities of the successful candidate may be related to the design and preparation of HWO, based on the experience gained with Roman. Active collaborations with the STScI (Baltimore) can be anticipated for activities related to HWO.

Start on 1 September 2025, for a duration of 3 years. An earlier or later start is possible depending on the candidate's availability

Activités

A mandatory 30% of the time will be devoted to the CPP-defined priority activities, in one of the four main working groups (observation planning, data reduction pipeline and simulation, hardware, and polarimetry).
Other activities undertaken during the research contract will also be related to the preparation of the Roman Coronagraph but may include:
- Data simulation (in Python)
- Data reduction (in Python)
- Development of dedicated tools for data interpretation
- Support for “best-effort” observing modes
- Working on the calibration plan
- Working on the commissioning plan
- Preparing science observations
- Writing and submitting scientific articles
- Presentation of results at conferences and during CPP meetings
- …
The exact list of activities will be adjusted depending on the applicant's profile and interest.

Compétences

Expected skills:
- Knowledge of exoplanet direct detection techniques (target selection, observing strategies, data processing…)
- Numerical data analysis
- Python programming
- Knowledge of scientific libraries in Python
- Fluency in written and spoken English

Minimum qualifications include a PhD degree in astrophysics, astronomical instrumentation or a closely related field. Whatever her or his background, the candidate must be highly motivated to work on the direct detection or characterisation of exoplanets using space-based instrumentation. Skills in astronomical observations, data analysis and interpretation will be extremely useful. Proficiency in Python or similar data analysis software is necessary. The candidate must have demonstrated her or his capacity for independent work and for conducting their own research. Candidates in the process of finishing their PhD in the coming months are highly encouraged to apply and will be given full consideration.

Candidates should send the following documents in the application:
- Curriculum vitae, including a full list of publications and the name and contact information of two people who recommend you
- Up to 3 pages of research statement

Contexte de travail

The project will be carried out at Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille (LAM, France), one of the major public research institutes in France in astrophysics. Most of the work will be done at LAM, but the successful candidate will work in a highly collaborative international environment with weekly interactions with the Roman CPP group (more than 50 people in US, Europe and Japan) and with regular travels to the US for in-person CPP meetings. At LAM, the successful candidate will work at the interface between the planetary system group (GSP) and the instrumental R&D group (GRD). He or she will benefit from the rich local expertise in exoplanet science, data analysis, adaptive optics, high-contrast instrumentation, machine learning. He or she will also be working in close collaboration with the ESCAPE team at LAM (led by Dr. Elodie Choquet), which is actively involved in the CPP activities.

Contraintes et risques

Regular travel abroad is to be anticipated for participation to in-person CPP meetings in the US and for presenting results and activities at conferences. Due to time difference between Europe and the US, participation to teleconferences in the late afternoons or evenings will occur on a regular basis.