Hall B Postdoctoral Associate
Job ID #: 11526
Location: Newport News, VA
Functional Area: Research
Division: Exp Nuclear Physics
Position Type: Term
Education Required: Post-Doctorate
Experience Required: Less than 1 year
Relocation Provided: Yes

Position Description

POSITION ENDS TWO YEARS FROM HIRE DATE
POSITION POSTED: December 2, 2013
SALARY RANGE: $49,600 - $74.600 (PD)

Hall B at Jefferson Lab has an opening for a Postdoctoral Associate with significant expertise in electromagnetic nuclear or particle physics. By the end of 2014 Hall B will be ready to resume beam operation with the newly upgraded CEBAF. Among the first experiments will be the Heavy Photon Search (HPS) experiment to search for evidence of the existence of a massive photon-like particle that plays a role in dark matter annihilation, and could account for dark matter interaction with ordinary matter. Such a particle could account for the striking excess of high-energy electrons and rising fraction of positrons in cosmic rays, and is expected in many theories that go beyond the standard model of particle physics. The HPS experiment, approved by JLAB PAC with “A” rating, will search for such photons in in the invariant mass of lepton pairs produced in the interaction of high energy, high intensity
electron beams with heavy nuclear targets. It will explore a large, previously unexplored region of parameter space, suggested by current theories.

The postdoctoral fellow will work along side the staff scientists on the preparation and execution of the HPS experiment, on the data calibration and physics analysis. It is expected that the
successful candidate will play a major role in the development of on-line and off-line monitoring and data calibration tools, and participates in the development of offline reconstruction software, with emphasis on electromagnetic calorimeter software support.

In addition to the HPS experiment, Hall B offers wide opportunities for physics analysis of data taken with the CEBAF Large Acceptance Spectrometer (CLAS) during the past few years at beam energies of up to 6 GeV and the preparation of new experiments with the upgraded CLAS12 detector. These involve studies of generalized parton distributions (GPDs), transverse momentum dependent parton distribution (TMDs) and the excitation of nucleon resonances, and meson spectroscopy. The candidate is expected to lend general support to the joint efforts of the CLAS collaboration and its new detector systems.

The position will be available immediately, initially for a 2 years term, with the possibility for an extension of up to 2 more years, contingent upon mutual agreement and the availability of funds.

Position Requirements

A PhD in electromagnetic nuclear or particle physics or an equivalent combination of education and specific training. Experience with the operation and the analysis of large spectrometer
experiments is required. Therefore, software experience is important, a good knowledge of C++ and Java programing is a plus.

Applicants should send a curriculum vitae, copies of any recent (un)published work, and arrange to have letters from three references e-mailed to Linda Ceraul (ceraul@jlab.org). Jefferson Lab is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.