Nikhef currently has an opening for a
PhD position in Experimental High-Energy Heavy-Ion Physics

Nikhef is the national institute for subatomic physics in the Netherlands. At Nikhef, approximately 220 physicists and 75 technical staff members work together in an open and international scientific environment. Jointly, they perform excellent theoretical and experimental research in the fields of particle- and astroparticle physics. Among the research collaborations Nikhef participates in are the ATLAS, LHCb and ALICE experiments at CERN, the KM3NeT neutrino telescope in the Mediterranean Sea, the DUNE experiment in the United States, the Virgo interferometer in Pisa, the XENON dark matter detector in Gran Sasso, the Pierre Auger cosmic ray observatory in Argentina, and the eEDM research programme in Groningen. There are also scientific groups on Physics Data Processing and detector R&D. Nikhef is a collaboration between six major Dutch universities and the Dutch Foundation for Scientific Research (NWO).

The position 
The successful candidate will join the group of Dr. Panos Christakoglou at Nikhef and will be an active member of the interdisciplinary Dutch consortium “Probing the phase diagram of quantum chromodynamics”, which includes collaborators at Utrecht University (Dr. Gürsoy, Dr. Hinderer, Prof. Van den Broeck, and Prof. Snellings), the University of Amsterdam (Dr. Mösta, Dr. Nissanke, and Prof. Watts), and the University of Groningen (Prof. Even). The scientific aim is to study the properties of dense nuclear matter by combining information from all available observational and experimental channels: gravitational waves from binary neutron star mergers, the gamma ray bursts and “kilonova” afterglows caused by them, X-ray observations with NICER, radio observations of pulsars, nuclear physics experiments, and heavy ion collisions in Earth-based particle accelerators such as the Large Hadron Collider. 

The PhD candidate will work on the LHC run III data analysis and modelling. The group at Nikhef specializes in correlation (azimuthal anisotropy and angular correlations, vorticity and chiral magnetic effect) and heavy-flavour studies in pp, p-Pb and Pb-Pb data recorded with the ALICE detector. The student will also be involved in the development of a joint Bayesian data analysis framework that optimally connects the channels mentioned above, with input from theoretical (astro)physics and large-scale numerical simulations. 

The candidate is expected to be stationed at Nikhef in Amsterdam and will have the possibility for regular visits at CERN in Geneva. 

Requirements
We are looking for a PhD candidate with a(n) (almost) completed Master degree in high-energy physics, applied physics or in a closely related field. The ideal candidate has a strong interest in data analysis, has good software skills (C++, Python, ROOT) and preferably has (some) research experience in experimental particle physics.

Offer
The candidate will be employed by the NWO-I-foundation and will obtain the status of junior scientist. He/she will receive a 4-year contract with a competitive salary. The NWO-I-foundation conditions of employment are excellent, and can be found on the website of the employer: www.nwo-i.nl.

The educational program of the Dutch research school for subatomic physics offers annual graduate schools for PhD students, as well as frequent series of lectures on advanced topics in (astro)particle physics.

Information and Application 
Qualified applicants are encouraged to apply by clicking the 'apply now' button below. Please be prepared to upload a curriculum vitae, a motivation letter, and provide the email address of two referees who are willing to send a letter of recommendation on your behalf. 

The deadline for applications is 26 February 2023 and the ideal starting date is September 2023. 

For further information on these openings, feel free to contact Dr. Panos Christakoglou (panos.christakoglou@nikhef.nl).