项目介绍

2026年4月9日

There is a vacancy for a PhD Research Fellow in Physics at the Department of Physics and Technology. The position is for a fixed-term period of 3 years with the possibility of a 4th year with career-promoting work (e.g. teaching at the Department). The position is subject to financing by the project “What makes ‘Flickering Gamma-ray Flashes’ Flicker?” funded by the Research Council of Norway.

About the project/work tasks:

Terrestrial Gamma-ray Flashes (TGFs), Flickering Gamma-ray Flashes (FGFs), and gamma-ray glows represent the most energetic phenomena occurring naturally in Earth’s atmosphere. They manifest as explosive bursts and sustained emissions of gamma rays generated by lightning and thunderstorm activity. This project aims to unlock the mysteries connecting TGFs, FGFs, glows, and lightning discharges through modeling and analysis of data from the groundbreaking ALOFT flight campaign.

Our group’s recent publications revealed FGFs as a new class of high-energy atmospheric radiation, yet their puzzling absence of radio emissions poses a significant challenge to our current understanding of high-energy atmospheric physics. One long-term goal of our group is to develop a self-consistent model of FGFs and other lightning-generated high-energy radiation, then using radio and optical predictions from this model to compare against ALOFT observations to ultimately solve the FGF puzzle while potentially illuminating the broader physics of TGFs and Glows.

ALOFT deployed a cutting-edge suite of detectors aboard a NASA high-altitude aircraft cruising at 20 km above raging thunderstorms during July 2023, hunting TGFs and glows over Florida, Central America, and the Caribbean through more than 30 flight hours over thunderstorms. Airborne measurements were synchronized with ground-based radio stations networked across Central America, creating an unprecedented multi-platform observation system. Building on this success, a second major aircraft campaign is planned for summer 2028 to further advance our understanding. ALOFT represents a unique experiment that can revolutionize atmospheric electricity research.

You, as a successful candidate, will join our team at the forefront of the field. You will work with observational and simulated data, with the balance between the two adaptable to your skills and affinities. You will also contribute to the dissemination of results. A high degree of autonomy is offered, and the final publication focus is flexible. We expect your findings to appear in top-tier peer-reviewed journals, and to present your work at national and international conferences at least twice a year.

The successful candidate will be part of the Space Physics group at the Department of Physics and Technology of the University of Bergen and will carry out the activity under the supervision of Researcher David Sarria (UiB), PI of the funding project, and co-supervision of UiB Professor Martino Marisaldi. The team has a strong international reputation and a wide network of collaborators across Europe and the USA.

Qualifications and personal qualities:

• Applicants must hold a master’s degree or equivalent education in Physics. Master students can apply provided they complete their final master exam before 31.07.2026. It is a condition of employment that the master’s degree has been awarded.
• Documented general knowledge of the near-earth space environment or atmospheric or lightning physics is a requirement.
• A general knowledge of programming languages aimed at scientific data analysis and visualization is a requirement.
• Hands-on experience with radio, optical, or hard-radiation detectors either in modeling or in experimental work, is an advantage.
• Hands-on experience with ALOFT data (any optical, gamma, radio, or radar) is also an advantage.
• Applicants must be able to work independently and in a structured manner and demonstrate good collaborative skills.
• Applicants must be proficient in both written and oral English.

Personal and relational qualities will be emphasized. Ambitions and potential will also count when evaluating the candidates.

Special requirements for the position 

The University of Bergen is subjected to the regulation for export control systems. The regulation will be applied in the processing of the applications.

About the PhD position (applies to university PhD positions):

About the PhD Research Fellow:

The fellowship will be for a period of 3 years, with the possibility for a 4th year contingent on the qualifications of the candidate and the teaching needs of the department and will be decided by the Head of department upon appointment. If a 4th year is granted, one year of career-promoting work associated with teaching, dissemination or research infrastructure/services will be distributed over the full employment period and thus corresponding to 25 per cent of the time each year.

The employment period may be reduced if you have previously been employed in a qualifying post (e.g. research fellow, research assistant).

About the research training:

As a PhD Research Fellow, you must participate in an approved educational programme for a PhD degree within a period of 3 years. The deadline for applying for admission to the PhD programme at The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences is 2 months after you start your position or after the start of the research project that will lead to the PhD degree. It is a condition that you satisfy the enrolment requirements for the PhD programme at the University of Bergen.

We can offer:

• A good and professionally stimulating working environment
• Salary as PhD research fellow (code 1017) in the state salary scale. This constitutes a gross annual salary of NOK 568 700. Further increases in salary are made according to the length of service in the position.
• Enrolment in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
• Good welfare benefits

Your application must include:

• A brief account of the applicant’s research interests and motivation for applying for the position.
• A detailed justification of your qualifications in relation to the listed requirements, explaining how you meet each criterion. Additionally, you should address the “advantages” mentioned above, as these will be taken into account when ranking the candidates.   
• The names and contact information for two referees. One of these should be the main advisor for the master’s thesis or equivalent thesis.
• CV
• Transcripts and diplomas showing completion of the bachelor’s and master’s degrees. If you have not yet completed your master’s degree, please submit a statement from your institution confirming the expected date of award of your master’s degree. Your master’s degree must be documented with transcripts and/or diploma before starting in the position.
• Relevant certificates/references
• Approved documentation of proficiency in English (if required, cf. English language requirements for PhD admission).
• A list of any works of a scientific nature (publication list with links).

The application and appendices with certified translations into English or a Scandinavian language must be uploaded at Jobbnorge.