PhD Positions in Gravity at the Extreme

The Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute, AEI) in Potsdam, Germany invites applications for several fully funded PhD positions in the International Max Planck Research School (IMPRS) “Gravity at the Extreme”. We are looking for creative, proactive, and motivated candidates who thrive in a vibrant, interdisciplinary team.

Where you will work

You will join one of these research units in Potsdam:

• Astrophysical and Cosmological Relativity department (ACR), AEI
• Computational Relativistic Astrophysics department (CRA), AEI
• Multi-messenger Astrophysics of Compact Binaries group, AEI / Theoretical Astrophysics group, University of Potsdam (UP)

The IMPRS connects the AEI (Potsdam and Hannover) with the University of Potsdam, Humboldt University Berlin, and Leibniz University Hannover, as well as international affiliates at the University of Maryland and the Yukawa Institute for Theoretical Physics (Kyoto). Students can join the LIGO Scientific Collaboration (soon International Gravitational-Wave Observatory Network (IGWN)) (via ACR), the Distributed Data Processing Center (DDPC) (via ACR), the LISA Consortium (via ACR), and the Einstein Telescope Collaboration (via AEI–UP). ACR and CRA run three in-house high-performance compute clusters for source modeling, waveform development, and GW data analysis.

What you could work on

• Analytical relativity and source modeling: gravitational dynamics and radiation with post-Newtonian and post-Minkowskian theory, gravitational self-force, black-hole perturbation theory, and effective-one-body formalism in general relativity and beyond
• Numerical relativity: simulations of compact objects in general relativity and alternative theories of gravity; stellar collapse to black holes and neutron stars
• Gravitational-wave data analysis: LIGO, Virgo, and KAGRA data; pipelines and methods for LISA and the Einstein Telescope; accelerated inference, including machine learning
• Fundamental physics, astrophysics & cosmology: tests of gravity in the strong-field, highly dynamical regime; compact-binary populations, environmental effects, cosmography with gravitational waves (dark energy, dark matter, lensing)