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IAA-CSIC offers a PhD contract within the framework of the Project “Severo Ochoa”. Candidates are expected to carry out their activity in the field of visualization of Big Data in radio astronomy.
Supervisors: Lourdes Verdes-Montenegro and Julián Garrido (lourdes@iaa.es, jgarrido@iaa.es).
The candidate will join the team leading the development of a SKA Regional Centre (SRC) Prototype fully engaged with Open Science principles at the IAA-CSIC (Granada). The team coordinates the Spanish participation in the SKA. The IAA-CSIC is a leading research institution in Astronomy and Astrophysics awarded with the Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence Accreditation, in recognition of its cut-ting-edge research, high competitiveness, ambitious strategic plans, high-quality production, and a great ability to attract talent.
Equal Opportunities: CSIC is a public research organisation in which the right to equality and gender non-discrimination is preserved, while promoting the condi-tions to real and effective equality of the individuals. Everyone is encouraged to apply.
The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project is an international effort to build the largest scientific infrastructure on Earth: a radio telescope with the potential to make revolutionary contributions to Astrophysics, Astrobiology, and Fundamental Phys-ics. Considered the Big Data machine of the 21st Century, the SKA Observatory will deliver 600PB/yr to worldwide distributed data centres: the SKA Regional Cen-tres. They will interoperate in an international network to provide the computing, storage and software platform where the SKA data will be scientifically analysed. SKA precursors MeerKAT and ASKAP are anticipating the new Data science chal-lenges that SKA will bring to the community.
This PhD aims to perform new research on visualization of multidimensional Big Data as a preparation for SKA, minimizing computational requirements. This is key to provide scientific insight in e.g. the analysis of large/complex structures, while inspecting the quality of the data. The visualization should follow Open Sci-ence standards and protocols, a challenge not approached yet. Our testbed will be the scientific analysis at the SRC prototype of data from MeerKAT (including PI time for the study of compact groups of galaxies) and participation in the ASKAP Walla-by Large Programme, among others. Separation of ubiquitous faint atomic gas (HI) components at unprecedented resolutions, and their comparison with multiwave-length data bring new challenges in the extraction of scientific knowledge. This challenge is just starting since, as we approach the large size of the data that SKA will deliver (2TB-110TB/data product), the way we do science will necesarily change. This change will happen at the SRCs, where innovation in a number of ar-eas in which solutions do not exist yet are required and visualisation is a key aspect.
• Study, test and characterize state of the art technologies to visualize multidi-mensional Big Datasets in astronomy and other fields such as medical sci-ences or gaming. Benchmarking at the SRC of selected software with SKA precursor data to identify their limitations.
• Use the identified technologies that scale to SKA precursor data to develop algorithms that automatically transform MeerKAT data into vectorized models and generate derived products.
• Design and build an interactive interface for visualization of 3D data and de-rived products such as videos.
• Adapt the algorithms to ASKAP data, and study the scalability of the devel-oped tools to deal with the complexity and size of SKA data.
The training plan will be complemented with the presentation of results in interna-tional meetings, participation at seminars and schools, and writing of articles in scientific journals.
Requirements:
1.- Being enrolled or admitted to a doctoral programme for the academic year 2021/2022 at the time of submission of the application. Or being in position to be enrolled or admitted on the date on which the contract is formalised.
2.- Fluent English.
3.- Skills in computer science, programming will be considered an asset.
Submission of applications: Through the online application of the Spanish Minis-try of Science and Innovation (using the code SEV-2017-0709-21-3)
http://www.aei.gob.es/portal/site/MICINN/menuitem.dbc68b34d11ccbd5d52ffeb801432ea0/?vgnextoid=4c6c68d98570c710VgnVCM1000001d04140aRCRD
Deadline: November 11th 2021
Contact: Candidates are encouraged to contact Dr. L. Verdes-Montengero (lourdes@iaa.es) and Dr. J. Garrido (jgarrido@iaa.es) in advance and provide the following information:
- Complete CV;
- Statement of interest (max. one page, including a brief description of re-search interests and relevant experience);
- Names and contact details of 1-2 reference persons
IAA is an equal opportunity institution. Applications to this program by female scientists are particularly encouraged.
Should you need any further information or assistance concerning the application, please contact the IAA at severoochoa[at]iaa.es