Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Center invites applications for astronomy and astrophysics PhD studies
The Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Center (CAMK PAN), a leading institute of the GeoPlanet Doctoral School, offers the opportunity to carry out graduate studies leading to a PhD degree in astronomy. The PhD studies are related to subjects pursued at CAMK PAN including observational and theoretical astrophysics as well as cosmology. Our senior scientists participate in the H.E.S.S., CTA, Hyper-Kamiokande, GADMC, DarkSide, LUMI-Q, and VIRGO/LIGO/Kagra, ET and EGO projects and are involved in instrumental projects concerning the astronomical satellites eROSITA, ARCUS and ATHENA. CAMK PAN represents the Polish astronomical community in the SALT consortium which operates an 11-m optical telescope in South Africa. The Center's scientists are leading participants in the Polish scientific satellite project, BRITE, dedicated to precise stellar brightness measurements, and in the project ARAUCARIA, dedicated to the calibration of the cosmological distance scale. They also operate Cerro Murphy Observatory in Chile and SOLARIS – a network of southern hemisphere small robotic telescopes committed to stellar astronomy, the search for exoplanets, and quantum satellite communication.
Studies last 4 years and begin on October 1st, 2025. During the 4-year period, students are required to take specific courses, lectures (including interdisciplinary lectures) and participate in seminars, as well as prepare the doctoral thesis. All seminars and lectures are in English. The regulations of the doctoral school, including the program of the Studies, are posted on the CAMK PAN web page.
Students are based and take their courses in Warsaw or in Toruń according to the location of their supervisors. Students based in Warsaw may apply for accommodation in the student house run by our Center.
An information about the proposed research topics and their supervisors is attached to this announcement. Candidates can apply for up to two topics, but should indicate the preferred one. Before applying, candidates should contact their potential supervisors to obtain more details on the proposals.
Doctoral school students receive a scholarship for four years. The minimum amount is 3,466.90 PLN/month gross (approx. 3,077 PLN net) for the first two years and 5,340.90 PLN/month gross (approx. 4,740 PLN net) after a positive mid-term evaluation. See the project description below for funding details.
The recruitment process will take place via an online application system available at:
In the online system, choose "Register" and "Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Center, Polish Academy of Sciences". After giving your consents, you will be able to enter your data and upload your application documents and select a topic. After uploading the documents you should receive an email confirmation.
Candidates must submit a complete application, including:
- The application for admission to the doctoral school together with GDPR statement (following the templates available for download in the online application form; address given below).
- A copy of their master’s/university and bachelor’s degree diplomas. In case master’s degree diploma is not yet available, it must be provided before the candidate is admitted to the school.
- A transcript of grades (Bachelor and Master Courses).
- A Curriculum Vitae including an education and employment records, list of publications, information on involvement in scientific activities – membership in scientific groups/societies, participation in scientific conferences, internships and training, awards and distinctions.
- A letter of motivation containing a short description of the candidate's interests and scientific achievements, and justification of the intention to undertake education at the Doctoral School.
- English language certificate(s), if available.
All documents, including scans, must be in PDF format and submitted by March 1, 2025.
In addition to application documents given above, at least one recommendation letter should be sent directly by the referee to: phdstudies@camk.edu.pl, before the application deadline (March 1st).
The Recruitment Board will select candidates for the interview, which will take place March 17th-30th, 2025 (9 am – 4 pm, CET). Decisions about admission will be made by April 11th, 2025 and all the candidates will be notified by e-mail. For additional information contact the coordinator of the doctoral school, Dr. Radosław Smolec (smolec@camk.edu.pl) or the Center’s secretary office (Mrs. Katarzyna Morawska, kasia@camk.edu.pl).
Warsaw, January 30th, 2025
Attachment: Proposed topics of PhD theses:
Subject: Temporal and dynamical behaviour of multi-phase accretion flow
Supervisors: prof. dr hab. Agata Różańska (contact: agata@camk.edu.pl)
This project is offered as part of the TALES Doctorate Network.
Summary: The PhD project will use an outcome of optical/ultraviolet and X-ray variability analysis of AGNs, to constrain the structure and physical conditions of the accretion disk, its connection to winds and BLR. This task will be achieved by developing and testing a phenomenological multi-phase model of accretion flows based on the assumptions of a magnetically supported disk and the equilibrium between magnetic heating and radiative cooling. The PhD candidate will extend a multi-phase accretion model by implementing temporal properties and predictions on multiwavelength variability and dynamical behaviour by implementing momentum equation. The comparison to the data will be a final step and PhD conclusion on the importance of multi-phase accretion in AGN evolution.
The TALES doctorate network in a nutshell: The offered PhD position is part of the TALES (Time-domain Analysis to study the Life-cycle and Evolution of Supermassive black holes) Doctorate Network, a consortium of 10 astrophysics research groups, 8 industrial and 4 academic partners spread across Europe that aims to study the feeding and feedback cycle of supermassive black holes. The TALES doctorate candidates will (i) leverage time-domain astronomy observations from state-of-the-art facilities to map the inner environments of supermassive black holes, (ii) use novel analysis methods from the discipline of data science to maximise the information gain from the observations and (iii) develop new theories and models to interpret the data and learn about the physics of the life-cycle of black holes at the centres of galaxies. Parallel to the core research activities above, TALES aspires to implement an ambitious training programme on both technical and complementary skills that is tailored to the needs of the doctorate candidates and includes secondments to industrial and/or academic partners as well as specialised lectures and science communication events.
The Specific Doctoral Project: It is currently thought that most massive galaxies in the Universe host in their nuclear regions black holes that are million or even billion times more massive than our Sun. These exotic astrophysical objects are thought to grow their masses over long periods of time by swallowing gaseous matter from their immediate environments. During this process an accretion disk is formed that funnels the material onto the black hole, thereby feeding it and increasing its mass. The infall of matter onto the compact object via the accretion disk is also accompanied by the release of huge amounts of energy that can be observed at various parts of the electromagnetic spectrum with characteristic signatures that define the population of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN).
Understanding in detail the physics of the accretion process onto supermassive black holes remains a major challenge of current astrophysical research and one of the central objectives of the TALES Doctorate Network. Recently, it has been realised that temporal information may hold the key for understanding the inner structure and physics of accretion flows. This is based on the fact that the accretion process is by nature highly dynamic, i.e. ever changing with time, which observationally translates to a “flickering” of the emitted flux at any wavelength, i.e. continuous variations with time around a mean value. By studying the variability timescales of AGN at different wavelengths we learn about the geometry of the different energy emitting components of the accretion flow (e.g. accretion disk, warm and hot X-ray corona, outflows). Moreover, the simultaneous modelling of the variability amplitudes at different wavebands and timescales provides physical information on the dynamics of the accretion flow and the interplay between its different components.
This project will use the multi-phase accretion model for innermost region of AGN, where cold gas in the disk interacts radiatively with hot corona. Moreover, the warm ionized layer is self consistently created on the top of the colder disk via additional magnetic dissipation. The goal of the project is to include dynamical behavior of the gas affected by strong radiative field and radiation cooling rate. We already know that timescales for radiative cooling of the hot phase are fast, therefore dynamical timescales should be estimated and compared to observations. All timescales derived from theoretical modelling will be compared with state of art observationsof of AGN populations at X-ray, ultraviolet and optical wavelengths as a function of the mass of the black hole and the Eddington ratio of the accretion flow. Observations will be reduced and statistically analyzed within the TALES Doctoral Network. The physically motivated multi-phase accretion model will be an input to reverberation mapping simulations available to the TALES consortium or by constructing semi-empirical models that link the X-ray with the UV/optical variability.
The doctoral candidate will be based at the Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Center (NCAC PAS), a leading institute of the GeoPlanet Doctoral School, which offers the opportunity to carry out graduate studies leading to a PhD degree in astronomy. The project will be supervised by Prof. Agata Różańska. The doctoral candidate will enrol at the PhD program of GeoPlanet Doctoral School, which offers the specific courses, lectures (including interdisciplinary lectures), seminars, as well as the full process of thesis preparation. Foreseen secondments include AALTA Lab, Slovenia, University of Belgrad, NUCLIO, Portugal, SRON, Netherland, and industrial partners of the TALES Doctorate Network.
More details here: https://www.euraxess.pl/jobs/283977.
Location: Warsaw
Funding: 2,397 EUR/month gross gross for the first three years (funded by the EU MSCA grant), followed by a scholarship under general regulations for the remaining period, up to a total of four years.
Note: A single position is available. A separate ranking list will be created for this topic.
Subject: Numerical simulations of relativistic jets from black holes
Supervisor: dr hab. Krzysztof Nalewajko (CAMK PAN; contact: knalew@camk.edu.pl)
Relativistic jets are powerful collimated outflows observed in certain active galaxies, stellar X-ray binaries, gamma-ray bursts, etc. They are thought to be driven by the magnetospheres of accreting rotating black holes. Global numerical simulations of relativistic jets can be performed by numerical simulations of magnetized plasma in the Kerr metric. The Ph.D. candidate will be introduced to general relativistic numerical codes, high-performance computing, theory of relativistic jets, etc. Knowledge of numerical methods, fluid dynamics, magneto-hydro-dynamics, plasma physics or general relativity will be preferred, but is not mandatory.
Location: Warsaw
Funding: Grant fellowship (National Science Center grant no 2024/53/B/ST9/03747) for 4 years: 5000 PLN/month, gross, before the mid-term evaluation (ca. 3790 PLN/month net), 6500 PLN/month, gross, after positive mid-term evaluation (ca. 4930 PLN/month net). Budget for travel and computer equipment.
Note: A single position is available. A separate ranking list will be created for this topic.
Subject: Detached eclipsing binaries in the era of satellite photometric surveys
Supervisor: dr hab. Krzysztof Hełminiak (CAMK PAN Toruń; contact: xysiek@camk.edu.pl)
The aim of the project is to obtain high-precision (<1%) fundamental stellar parameters for components of selected detached eclipsing binaries (DEBs). This will be done by producing models of these binaries on the basis of quality spectroscopic material and very high precision, satellite-based photometry from the TESS mission. These results will be a base for further analysis, aimed for obtaining ages, chemical composition or distances to the systems. Results will be published in refereed journals (ApJ, MNRAS, A&A).
Over 300 various DEBs with spectroscopic and photometric data are ready for analysis, and the successful candidate can focus on one or more specific topics from the list below:
- high-mass (M>3 Msun) stars in DEBs,
- DEBs in multiple systems,
- pre-main-sequence stars in DEBs,
- F/G+K/M high-contrast pairs,
- circumbinary planet nad brown dwarf search via RVs and ExAO imaging,
- the candidate's own topic of interest, if sufficient data are currently available (in such case the applicant is encouraged to first contact dr hab. Krzysztof Hełminiak xysiek@ncac.torun.pl).
These tasks can be enhanced with new observations, including, but not limited to: a) multi-band photometry with the "Solaris" network, which consists of 4 robotic telescopes (0.5-m, 2 in South Africa, one in Argentina and one in Australia) with Johnson-Cousins (UBVRI) and Sloan (u'g'r'i'z') filter sets; b) high-resolution spectroscopy from the HRS instrument at the SALT telescope, the CHIRON instrument at the SMARTS 1.5m telescope, or facilities available through open ESO calls for proposals. Optional purchase of required elescope time is also possible.
The successful applicant will be located in Torun. She/he will use current or future tools for spectral disentangling (e.g. FD3), analysis (e.g. iSpec, GSSP), and eclipsing binary modelling (JKTEBOP, PHOEBE2, AllesFitter), and is expected to present results in international conferences and peer-reviewed publications. Other requirements:
- coding in Python 3 (strongly preferred), IDL, or other popular language,
- basics of PostgreSQL and data base handling,
- basic knowledge of observational techniques and data reduction,
- own experience in spectroscopy and/or photometry is welcome (although not strictly required),
- knowledge of the English language, allowing to work in an international environment.
Location: Toruń
Funding: Grant fellowship (National Science Center grant no 2023/49/B/ST9/01671) for 4 years: 5000 PLN/month, gross (ca. 4245 PLN/month, net, before mid-term evaluation; ca. 4740 PLN/month, net, after positive mid-term evaluation); budget for travel and computer equipment.
Note: A single position is available. A separate ranking list will be created for this topic.
Subject: Understanding spurious (delayed) emission in dual-phase TPCs for DarkSide
Supervisor: dr André Cortez (Astrocent/CAMK PAN; contact: acortez@camk.edu.pl) and dr hab. Marcin Kuźniak (Astrocent/CAMK PAN; contact: mkuzniak@camk.edu.pl)
The presence of Dark Matter (DM) in the Universe is an established yet profoundly mysterious paradigm. Deciphering its true nature remains one of the most compelling challenges in fundamental physics today.
Compelling astrophysical and cosmological evidence has spurred the development of numerous direct detection experiments searching for DM candidates (including WIMPs). DarkSide, along with other leading experiments such as XENON and LZ, utilizes noble liquid detectors, which are highly sensitive to vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) scintillation and ionization signals produced by Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) scattering off nuclei. Among these, dual-phase noble liquid time projection chambers (TPCs) using liquid argon (LAr) have demonstrated unparalleled detection sensitivity, positioning DarkSide at the forefront of DM searches.
The DarkSide experiment capitalizes on the unique properties of argon, such as its low background levels and excellent scintillation characteristics, to achieve the highest detection capabilities for low-mass WIMP candidates. Making use of a dual-phase TPC, DarkSide 20k relies on both primary (S1) and secondary (S2) scintillation signals to achieve precise particle identification. However, when probing low-mass WIMP candidates in the sub-GeV range, the detection strategy shifts to "S2-only" analysis, as the S1 signal falls below the detection threshold. While this approach enhances sensitivity to low-mass DM particles, it introduces challenges, such as the loss of particle discrimination capabilities and depth of interaction, but also a large number of events start to appear that no background or current models can justify. Recent focus has been placed on delayed (spurious) emissions caused by residual electrons at the liquid-gas interface, which can be trapped and produce delayed signals that contribute to this background, limiting the sensitivity of low-mass searches. Addressing these issues by modeling and mitigating spurious emissions is crucial to advancing the search for sub-GeV DM candidates.
As a PhD candidate, you will be at the forefront of this exciting research frontier, contributing directly to the DarkSide collaboration. Your tasks will include the development and optimization of Monte Carlo simulations of dual-phase TPCs, incorporating novel light amplification mechanisms. Additionally, you will engage in preparatory hardware work and experimental testing, contributing to the design and execution of experiments aimed at characterizing spurious emissions. Your efforts will validate simulation results and provide critical insights for improving detector performance. Furthermore, you will participate in data-taking campaigns within the DarkSide collaboration and perform comprehensive data analysis, including cross-checks and result validation in an international collaboration.
As part of your research, you will have opportunities for research stays at the Gran Sasso National Laboratory (LNGS) in Italy, one of the world's leading underground research facilities for astroparticle physics. These research stays will provide invaluable hands-on experience with the DarkSide experiment and allow collaboration with leading experts in the field.
As a PhD candidate you will also be encouraged to present your research findings at major international conferences, providing the ground to showcase your work to the scientific community, gain professional recognition, and expand your professional network.
Desirable Skills:
- Good programming skills in C++ and Python.
- A solid understanding of radiation detector principles.
- Familiarity with GEANT4 and ROOT (highly desirable but not mandatory).
If you are passionate about exploring the unknown and eager to contribute to one of the most exciting scientific endeavors of our time, we invite you to join us in unraveling the mysteries of Dark Matter with the DarkSide collaboration!
Location: Warsaw
Funding: By the institute, as set in the announcement. Possibility to switch into grant funding in later years.
Note: A single ranking list will be created for this and other topics, except the first three.
Subject: Search for Supermassive Charged Gravitinos Using Liquid Argon Detectors
Supervisor: dr Michał Olszewski (Astrocent/CAMK PAN; contact: molszewski@camk.edu.pl) and dr hab. Marcin Kuźniak (Astrocent/CAMK PAN; contact: mkuzniak@camk.edu.pl)
The DEAP-3600 detector, located 2 km underground at SNOLAB in Sudbury, Ontario, is a single-phase experiment aimed at detecting dark matter interactions with 3.3 tonnes of liquid argon (LAr). It has set the most stringent limit to date on the WIMP-nucleon cross-section using argon and continues to operate as the only active LAr detector. With nearly 0.5 PB of data already collected and ongoing data acquisition, DEAP-3600 is steadily progressing toward its design sensitivity, rivaling that of xenon-based detectors.
The aim of proposed PhD topic is to advance the search for Supermassive Charged Gravitinos and other exotic dark matter candidates through a multifaceted approach, including Monte Carlo simulations, background source characterization, and experimental data validation. A detailed simulation framework should be developed using dedicated software packages to model gravitino interactions, while relevant background sources such as natural radioactivity and cosmic rays will be identified and mitigated. Develop techniques which allow to compare real detector data with simulations, focusing on signal region classification. A robust statistical analysis, e.g. the Profile Likelihood Ratio (PLR), method should be used to quantify the significance of observed signals and set exclusion limits or identify potential evidence for gravitinos. This work will provide a comprehensive framework for exploring rare particle physics and contribute to our understanding of physics beyond the Standard Model.
Location: Warsaw
Funding: By the institute, as set in the announcement. Possibility to switch into grant funding in later years.
Note: A single ranking list will be created for this and other topics, except the first three.
Subject: Exploring possible hints of dark matter in the terrestrial indirect dark matter searches
Supervisor: dr hab. Marcin Kuźniak (Astrocent/CAMK PAN; contact: mkuzniak@camk.edu.pl)
One of the possible signatures of hypothetical dark matter particles could be detecting products of their annihilation-like interaction with heavy nuclei targets. Such an exothermic process in a dense target would cause substantial gamma and particle emissions. The detectable signal outside the massive target would be a neutron burst. As cosmic-muon-induced spallation of nuclei results in similar effects, dark-matter searches relying on this channel must be performed in deep underground laboratories, shielded from cosmic muons by a significant rock overburden. A dark matter-like excess over the expected simulated muon background has indeed been observed by the NEMESIS experiment in the Pyhasalmi mine in Finland and reported in the preliminary analysis.
The successful candidate will verify the muon-induced neutron background at underground locations and reinterpret the NEMESIS experimental results (under the guidance of the collaboration members). Muon-induced neutron background studies are also very important for direct detection of dark matter searches, neutrino physics, and other critical applications.
In addition, R&D on neutron detectors and their calibration are planned to prepare a new large-size, multi-detector array follow-up of the NEMESIS-type experiment. As part of this research, the successful candidate will have the opportunity for research stays at major experimental underground facilities in Europe.
Desirable skills:
- Advanced programming skills (C++ or python)
- Familiarity with common particle physics analysis and simulation tools (root, pandas, Geant4, FLUKA)
- Knowledge of English, allowing work in an international environment
- Existing background in nuclear, particle, or astroparticle physics
- Basic familiarity with radiation detection techniques
Location: Warsaw
Funding: By the institute, as set in the announcement. Possibility to switch into grant funding in later years.
Note: A single ranking list will be created for this and other topics, except the first three.
Subject: Low-mass donors in accreting black-hole binaries (BH LMXB)
Supervisors: Prof. dr hab. Joanna Mikołajewska (CAMK PAN Warszawa; contact: mikolaj@camk.edu.pl)
X-ray binaries (XRB) host compact stellar remnants - neutron star (NS) or black hole (BH) - accreting from normal companion stars, and therefore they are excellent laboratories to examine the physics of the supernova (SN) explosions which formed their compact objects. The study of donors in these systems is as important as the study of accreting compact objects. In particular, their radial velocity curves allow to constrain the masses of the SN remnants, their abundance anomalies if present indicate chemical pollution by the SN ejecta, and their systemic velocities carry information about the kick velocity given by the SN explosion.
The proposed PhD topic will concentrate on XRBs with low-mass donors whose parameters remain uncertain, and in particular, we know the least about the chemical composition. So far, such analysis has only been performed for a handful donors based on optical spectra, and the quality of these estimates is not the best. Therefore the problem certainly deserves more detailed studies.
The proposed topic is built on recently completed analysis of near infrared (NIR) spectra of GX 339-4 for which we have found some interesting chemical anomalies of potential implication for the black hole (BH) formation and the evolution of the binary (paper in advanced preparation). The PhD student will be involved in chemical abundance analysis of several donors based on already available NIR and optical archival spectra as well on new data. In particular, we plan to apply for observing time with the new infrared spectrograph (NIRWAL) on SALT (SALT (NCAC is the SALT partner with guaranteed access) as well as ESO facilities and JWST. The analysis will be performed using programmes and methods that we have successfully employed to derive chemical abundances for several dozen donors in symbiotic binaries, and most recently also for the LMXRB GX 339-4. The resulting abundances will be used for population/age estimates as well as to address the present evolutionary status of the donor, and to trace the evolution of these systems. The candidates with good background in stellar spectroscopy are particularly welcome.
Location: Warsaw
Funding: By the institute, as set in the announcement. Possibility to switch into grant funding in later years.
Note: A single ranking list will be created for this and other topics, except the first three.
Temporal and dynamical behaviour of multi-phase accretion flow
