Introduction:

The current and next generation of ground and space based instruments from ESO and ESA have moved observational astrophysics into an era of precision astronomy. Instruments are designed to maximize specific, high-precision science returns that push technical capabilities ever closer to their theoretical limits. In parallel, rapid advances in computational methods have unlocked the capability of relying on instrument simulations accounting for complex optical, mechanical, thermal, and other effects to achieve these high-precision science cases.

The implementation of detailed instrument modelling now spans all phases of a project: translating the high-level science requirements into a defined instrument concept, monitoring the compliance between science performance specifications and requirements during the  design and construction phases, optimizing science return through calibration, planning for science operations, and analysing astronomical data products.

One critical component of instrument simulation is the behavior of the detectors. While many space- and ground-based projects use similar (and in some cases identical) detectors, most projects have implemented basic detector effects into their instrument simulators independently. To promote synergies between ESO and ESA projects around common detector technologies and to avoid duplicated effort, we are developing a general detector simulation framework called PyXel (link: https://esa.gitlab.io/pyxel/). This open-source python-based detector simulation framework allows scientists, engineers, and users to contribute models of various detector effects that can then be used and validated by all instrument teams using CCD, CMOS, or hybridized detectors in the optical and infrared.

The project will include the following research and development activities:

Candidate will work within the PyXel collaboration which involve regular meetings with ESA who support the PyXel framework. At ESO the candidate will be in contact with the end-users (consortia) and with the engineers in charge of testing the detectors for ground-based instruments. The project will involve the following:

• Detector simulations using Python, developing working models for CCD/CMOS detectors that will be used on ESO instruments (some possible instrument to work on: METIS, MICADO, HARMONI, ANDES, MOSAIC, WST
• Detector characterisation (visible and infrared), laboratory work with cryogenic test bench on some of the cryogenic test benches at ESO Garching.
• Calibration of models for detectors where test data will be used with models developed for PyXel to derive individual detector parameters.

Skills:

The PhD candidate should have master’s degree in physics, photonics, astronomy, computer science or equivalent. Experience with software development in Python will be an asset and working on software development within a team of developers will be advantageous. Previous experience with detectors (CCD/CMOS/SPAD/MKIDS...) would be beneficial but it is expected that this experience will be acquired while working in ESO’s laboratories.

The candidate will be part of the PyXel collaboration which can involve presentations at conferences and physical meetings at ESTEC (ESA, Netherlands)