PhD Position: Constraining Cosmology and Baryonic Feedback with CMB Secondary Anisotropies

Job description: PhD Position: Constraining Cosmology and Baryonic Feedback with CMB Secondary Anisotropies Next-generation Large-Scale Structure (LSS) surveys promise unprecedented cosmological precision, but their statistical power is fundamentally bottlenecked by baryonic feedback on non-linear scales. To break this degeneracy, this 3-year PhD project will focus on mapping the thermodynamics and kinematics of diffuse gas using Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) secondary anisotropies. The student will perform joint thermal and kinematic Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (tSZ and kSZ), CMB lensing, and LSS cross-correlation analyses. Utilizing high-resolution CMB maps from the SPT-3G survey combined with premier optical and spectroscopic datasets from DES and 4MOST, the project aims to robustly constrain baryonic feedback models. Furthermore, the reconstructed cosmic velocity field from the kSZ signal will be leveraged to test fundamental physics, including the growth rate of structure and primordial non-Gaussianity f_NL. The successful candidate will be based at the Laboratoire d'Annecy-le-Vieux de Physique Théorique (LAPTh), a vibrant theoretical and observational astrophysics institute located in the picturesque alpine city of Annecy, France. The student will be co-supervised by Dr. Abhishek S. Maniyar and Dr. Azadeh Moradinezhad. Funding and Selection: Funding for this position is tied to a competitive university fellowship. We are currently seeking an outstanding candidate with a strong academic track record to internally select and propose to the local doctoral school competition. The doctoral school interviews will take place in early June for an October start. Desired Skills: A strong background in Astrophysics, Cosmology, or Physics is required. Desired (but not strictly necessary) skills include proficiency in Python for large-scale data analysis (e.g., healpy, numpy), a solid foundation in statistical inference, and prior familiarity with CMB data or Large-Scale Structure cross-correlations. Documents required: Please send your CV, research statement, 3 recommendation letters, and bachelor's and master's transcripts to: abhishek.maniyar@lapth.cnrs.fr Contact: Abhishek S Maniyar (abhishek.maniyar@lapth.cnrs.fr); Moradinezhad Dizgah, Azadeh (azadeh.moradinezhad@lapth.cnrs.fr) Letters of Reference should be sent to: abhishek.maniyar@lapth.cnrs.fr