The organization
Nikhef is the national institute for subatomic physics in the Netherlands. At Nikhef, approximately 220 physicists and 80 technical staff work together in an open and international scientific environment. Together they perform theoretical and experimental research in the fields of particle and astroparticle physics. Nikhef is a partnership between six major Dutch universities and NWO-I Foundation, the Institutes Organization of the Dutch Research Council (NWO).
Among the research collaborations Nikhef participates in are the ALICE, ATLAS and LHCb experiments at CERN, the KM3NeT neutrino telescope in the Mediterranean, the Virgo gravitational waves interferometer in Pisa, the Xenon-nT dark matter experiment in Gran Sasso, the Pierre Auger cosmic ray observatory in Argentina, and the eEDM research programme in Groningen. There are also scientific groups on Theory, Physics Data Processing and Detector R&D. Nikhef avails over excellently equipped technical departments in mechanics, electronics and computing.
The Nikhef ATLAS group
The Nikhef ATLAS group consists of a total of 15 scientific staff, typically 5 postdocs and 15 PhD students. As a founding member of the ATLAS collaboration, the group has a long-term involvement in detector construction (the semiconductor tracker, barrel muon chambers, readout, alignment, and data acquisition). For the phase-2 upgrade (2026-2028), we will instrument and commission one of the end-caps of a new all-silicon inner tracking system (ITk) in Amsterdam, commission the High Granularity Timing Detector (HGTD), and develop the new universal readout system (FELIX) for ATLAS detector systems. The group also has a strong record in track reconstruction, flavour tagging algorithm development as well as physics data analysis, with a focus on Higgs boson physics, top quark physics, and searches for new physics signatures.
The positions
1 – Diboson physics
You will search for new physics beyond the Standard Model, by investigating the electroweak symmetry breaking mechanism through a precise characterisation of properties of diboson interactions. The focus will be on the high-energy tails of the distributions, which are more sensitive to effects from new physics. You will study the reconstruction and identification of angular properties of hadronic decays from very energetic weak bosons using machine learning techniques. You are also going to contribute to detector construction and/or operations.
2 – Di-Higgs searches and particle tracking with machine learning
You will search for Higgs boson pair production (di-Higgs production) and develop new techniques to reconstruct charged particle tracks (tracking) using machine learning. The di-Higgs searches will use the full Run 2 + Run 3 LHC dataset and focus on non-resonant production, with the possibility of extending to resonant signals. The tracking work will consist of developing and applying novel machine learning techniques to enhance the particle reconstruction capabilities of the ATLAS experiment. These enhancements will benefit not only di-Higgs searches, but the entire ATLAS collaboration. Contribution to detector construction and/or operations is also possible.
Both PhD.candidates will be embedded in the Nikhef ATLAS group, and become a member of the international ATLAS collaboration. The working language is English. In addition to opportunities to give presentations at national and international conferences, you can visit ATLAS collaboration meetings at CERN, including the possibility for a long stay at CERN for a period of up to 1 year. You will be enrolled in the national research school for subatomic physics that offers multiple summer schools as well as a continuing advanced education program in particle physics.
Nikhef hosts an LHC Tier-1 data processing centre and offers substantial additional computing resources for end-user data analysis and simulation to support these positions.
Requirements
We are looking for PhD candidates with an (almost) completed Master degree in high-energy physics or in a closely related field. The ideal candidate has a strong interest in data analysis, has good software skills (Python, C++, ROOT) and has (some) research experience in experimental particle physics. Experience with machine learning algorithms and software (PyTorch, TensorFlow) is desirable but not required.
Offer
A temporary fulltime contract for the duration of 4 years (the initial contract will be for a period of 18 months and after satisfactory evaluation it will be extended for a total duration of 4 years). This should lead to a dissertation (PhD thesis). We will draft an educational plan that includes attendance of courses and (international) meetings. We also expect you to assist in teaching undergraduates and master students.
You will be employed at either the NWO-I-foundation or the University of Amsterdam, depending on your research topic and supervisor. The gross monthly salary, based on 38 hours per week and dependent on relevant experience, ranges between €2,872 and €3,670 (scale P), when employed by the University of Amsterdam, or € 2,884 to € 3,694 gross per month when employed by NWO-I. The salary is based on a full-time contract. On top of the monthly salary, excellent secondary benefits apply, such as a 8% holiday allowance in May, and a 8.3% year-end allowance in December, more then 7 weeks of payd holiday leave and an excellent pension plan. The conditions of employment of the NWO-I-foundation and the University of Amsterdam are comparable. Further details can be found on www.nwo-i.nl and here, respectively
Application
Qualified applicants are encouraged to apply by filling in the template below. The deadline for applications is Oct 20th, 2024. Please be prepared to upload a short cover letter, a curriculum vitae and have the email address of at least two referees ready who are willing to send a letter of recommendation on your behalf. Please indicate in which position(s) you are interested in your cover letter. Interviews with selected candidates are foreseen in the first half of November.
For further information, feel free to contact dr. Flavia de Almeida Dias (flavia.dias@cern.ch) or dr. Sebastien Rettie (sebastien.rettie@cern.ch) for positions 1 and 2, respectively, or prof. dr. Wouter Verkerke (verkerke@nikhef.nl) for general information about the Nikhef ATLAS group.
About the UvA
The University of Amsterdam is the Netherlands' largest university, offering the widest range of academic programmes. At the UvA, 30,000 students, 6,000 staff members and 3,000 PhD candidates study and work in a diverse range of fields, connected by a culture of curiosity. The Faculty of Science has a student body of around 8,000, as well as 1,800 members of staff working in education, research or support services. Researchers and students at the Faculty of Science are fascinated by every aspect of how the world works, be it elementary particles, the birth of the universe or the functioning of the brain.
The Institute of Physics (IoP) is located in the centre of the Amsterdam Science Park. The IoP – as part of the Faculty of Science – is housed in a modern building with excellent labs and technical facilities. Surrounded by several national research institutes and with our partners at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the institute is part of a strong physics centre of international standing. One of the institutes that the IoP has very close ties to is Nikhef, the national institute for subatomic physics in The Netherlands. The present vacancy is fully embedded in the ATLAS group of Nikhef.
The UvA and NWO-I are equal-opportunity employers We prioritise diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for everyone. We value a spirit of enquiry and perseverance, provide the space to keep asking questions, and promote a culture of curiosity and creativity.