Postdoctoral position in Heliophysics (M/F)

Job Description

Missions

A postdoctoral position, funded by the “From Solar Jets to Inner-Heliospheric Switchbacks” *(JET2SB, https://anr.fr/Project-ANR-25-CE31-7416) project of the French “Agence Nationale pour la Recherche” (ANR) is open for applications to work with the space plasmas team at the Laboratoire de Physique et de Chimie de l'Environnement et de l'Espace (LPC2E, Univ Orleans/CNRS/CNES) in Orléans, France. The preferred start date is September 1st, 2026, but later dates are negotiable.


During its unprecedented approaches of the Sun, the Parker Solar Probe (PSP, NASA) mission has made the puzzling discovery of very frequent and abrupt deflections of the magnetic field, the so-called switchbacks (SBs), in the solar wind. Because of their ubiquity in the inner heliosphere, and relative absence close to the Earth orbit and beyond, SBs are considered as a key ingredient to understand the complex generation mechanisms of the solar wind. Solar jets, which are phenomena that are very commonly seen in the solar atmosphere, occur over a wide range of spatial and temporal scales and have recently appeared to be a strong candidate as seed phenomena for SBs generation. The overall objective of the JET2SB project is to address the following questions: Do, and to which extend, solar jet-like events induce SBs? What are the physical mechanisms involved in the jet propagation and SB formation?

Activity

1) Analyses of observations from Parker Solar Probe and Solar Orbiter in situ instruments,
statistical and case of study of switchbacks. Comparaisons with synthetic observations from the dedicated simulations of the JET2SB project.
2) Collaboration with the local LPC2E team, as well as the full JET2SB team (PIs, postdocs and PhDs) from the Laboratoire de Physique des Plasmas (LPP, Paris, France) and the THEMIS team at the French-Spanish Laboratory for Astrophysics in Canarias (FSLAC, La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain).
3) Dissemination of research activities and results through team and project meetings, seminars, scientific articles, and conference presentations.

Your Profil

Skills

- PhD in astronomy, astrophysics, plasma physics and/or a related field ;
- Advanced knowledge in solar physics, space plasmas, or plasma physics. Full expertise in all these fields is not required, but willingness to learn across the project's topics is essential ;
- Advanced knowledge of at least one data analysis language.;
- Proven ability to work independently and as part of a team ;
- Strong scientific communication skills (oral and written) ;
- A track record of research excellence, evidenced by publications in peer-reviewed journals.

The candidate must submit the following documents for full consideration.
1. A CV including, list of publications and at least two references that we can contact
2. A brief report on the past and current research activity (up to 2 pages)
3. A research project including motivation for this postdoc (up to 2 pages)

Your Work Environment

The Laboratoire de Physique et de Chimie de l'Environnement et de l'Espace (LPC2E), a space laboratory located on the CNRS campus in Orléans, is affiliated with the CNRS, the University of Orléans and the CNES. It comprises three scientific teams, one of which focuses on solar-terrestrial relations and space plasmas (https://www.lpc2e.cnrs.fr/en/plasmas-spatiaux-2). The laboratory has strong expertise in space instrumentation, from design to production and implementation of instruments on-board missions such as Cluster, Solar Orbiter, BepiColombo, Parker Solar Probe.

The LPC2E is located on the outskirts of Orléans, France, a medium-sized city on the banks of the Loire, an hour's train ride south of Paris. Living conditions are considerably less expensive in Orléans than in Paris. The CNRS campus in Orléans offers an exceptional research environment with state-of-the-art facilities. The working languages within LPC2E teams are both English and French as personnels have diverse international backgrounds.

Compensation and benefits

Compensation

Gross salary from 3041 € to 4756 per month, depending on experience

Annual leave and RTT

44 jours

Remote Working practice and compensation

Pratique et indemnisation du TT

Transport

Prise en charge à 75% du coût et forfait mobilité durable jusqu’à 300€

About the offer

About the CNRS

The CNRS is a major player in fundamental research on a global scale. The CNRS is the only French organization active in all scientific fields. Its unique position as a multi-specialist allows it to bring together different disciplines to address the most important challenges of the contemporary world, in connection with the actors of change.

CNRS

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