Missions

Development, integration and validation of numerical simulations for the Euclid space mission.

Activities

The Centre de Physique des Particules de Marseille (CPPM) is opening a software developer position to work as part of the Euclid space mission

The Euclid mission is an international project of the European Space Agency (ESA), currently in operation since its launch in July 2023. Its ambition is to understand the nature of dark matter and dark energy which make up 95% of our Universe. To achieve this, Euclid will measure the position and shape of several tens of millions of galaxies using two instruments, the VIS imager in the visible domain and the NISP spectrophotometer in the near-infrared domain.

The processing of data acquired in flight is carried out on the ground, by dedicated pipelines operating in a specific infrastructure. All of those software and their production environment constitute the Scientific Ground Segment (SGS) of the Euclid mission. The SGS is also responsible for producing numerical simulations as close as possible to real observations, in order to understand their systematic effects. These simulated data are produced and delivered to the scientific community at regular intervals.

The CPPM Euclid team provides numerous technical contributions to the SGS. These contributions are all centered on its recognized expertise in the NISP instrument. The team is notably responsible for the development of image simulation software and pipelines for the spectroscopic part of the NISP, within the working group dedicated to this activity (OU-SIM)

The hired person will thus be in charge of the development of the image simulation software for the spectroscopic part of the NISP and also the maintenance of this code based on knowledge of the instrument model. This person will participate to the integration of these codes into the computing architecture of the Euclid mission, in interaction with the production implementation team of the Computing Center for France, CC-IN2P3 in Lyon.

The contract is to be filled as soon as possible, for a period of 1 year, with the possibility of extension beyond that.

Skills

The person applying for this position must have:

• Degree in physics, or astrophysics or engineering degree.
• In-depth knowledge of software engineering and scientific computing
• Advanced knowledge in data and image processing, particularly in astronomy.
•
Know-how :
• Good knowledge of C/C++/Python programming languages
• Good practices for evaluating code quality
• Good knowledge of the Linux/Unix operating system and virtual machines
• English language: level C2 or C1 (common European framework of reference for languages)
• Writing technical reports in English
•
Know how to be:

• Ability to work in a team and within a large international collaboration.

• Experience in simulations and/or data reduction in astronomy/cosmology will be a plus.
• Possibility of attaching letters of recommendation to your application.

Work Context

Located in the heart of the Parc National des Calanques, on the Luminy campus, the CPPM is a joint research laboratory of the CNRS and Aix-Marseille University, with around 180 researchers, engineers and PhD students. The laboratory studies subjects ranging from particle physics to astroparticle physics and cosmology, with a strong technological focus on electronics, mechanics, instrumentation and computing, enabling the design and construction of cutting-edge detection systems, often called upon to operate under extreme conditions: in the depths of the sea, in space or underground. Most of our research is carried out within the framework of leading international scientific collaborations, and our contributions are recognized worldwide. CPPM is committed to ethical research and promotes diversity and inclusion in the workplace, and provides administrative and logistical support to newcomers, particularly PhD students. (more details here: https://www.cppm.in2p3.fr/web/fr/index.html)

Additional Information

Applications should include a cover letter and CV, to be posted on the job portal.
For further information, please contact
- Stéphanie Escoffier (escoffier@cppm.in2p3.fr )
- Smaïn Kermiche (kermiche@cppm.in2p3.fr )