Advertisement for a Junior Research Fellow for an ANRF Funded Project at the School of Astrophysics   Date: 08/06/2026

Applications are invited from motivated and eligible Indian citizens for a position of Junior Research Fellow (JRF) in an ANRF-ARG funded research project entitled “Probing Relativistic Jets Using Polarization of Blazar Emission”, under the supervision of Principal Investigator (PI) Dr. Ritaban Chatterjee, Assistant Professor, School of Astrophysics, Presidency University, Kolkata.

Date, Time and Venue of Interview:Wednesday, July 01, 2026, 11:30 am. School of Astrophysics, Baker Building, Presidency University, 86/1 College Street, Kolkata 700073, WB, India. The interview will be conducted in in-person mode. In extraordinary circumstances candidates may be allowed to give the interview in online mode.

Application process: The candidate must email on or before 28 ^th June i) their current CV including their contact number ii) a 400-word research statement including any past research experience and motivation for this project iii) name and email id or phone number of at least one referee, who can provide feedback on their academic background, to the PI (ritaban.astro@presiuniv.ac.in). If the candidate does not have email access, hard copy of the above material may be directly submitted to the PI.

The candidate must bring with them on July 01, 2026 i) hard copy of their CV ii) write-up and iii) original mark sheets/grade cards for B.Sc. and M.Sc., NET/GATE scorecard/rank card/certificate of award. Self-attested xerox copies of the original will also be accepted subject to verification of the original on a later date if the candidate is selected.

Minimum Educational Qualifications Required: MSc/MS/BS-MS or equivalent in Physics/Astronomy/Astrophysics.

Following qualifications are desirable but not mandatory:

a)Qualification in the National Eligibility Test at the JRF/LS/PhD level or Graduate Aptitude Test for Engineering (GATE) or an “equivalent exam” as per ANRF regulations.

b) Previous coursework in astrophysics, research experience in a project related to astrophysics.

c) Previous experience with computer programming, reduction and analyses of astrophysical data.

d) Evidence of good oral and written communication skills in English through presentations in conferences and/or published research work.

Job description: The fellow will contribute to the extension of an existing numerical model of the emission variability of blazar jets to include the polarization properties. Energetic particles in the jets of blazars cool through nonthermal processes such as synchrotron radiation and inverse-Compton scattering. The existing model includes the above processes and assume certain structure of the emission region in the jets. The fellow will generate the degree of polarization and the electric vector position angle of the model emission. Those theoretical results will be compared with observed polarization data at multiple wave bands in order to constrain the nature of the magnetic field and ongoing acceleration mechanisms in blazar jets. The fellow will take part in publishing the scientific findings in reputed peer-reviewed international journals. He/she is encouraged to set-up collaborations with other members of the astrophysics group at Presidency University.

Enrolling for Ph.D.: The selected candidate may be allowed to enroll in the Ph.D. program as per university rules.

Tenure of Assignment:One year. Can be extended annually till the duration of project, subject to satisfactory performance and availability of funds.

Fellowship/Salary:

As per ANRF norms.

Note:

1. No TA/DA will be paid for attending the interview.

2. All the terms & conditions for this recruitment will be as per the guidelines of ANRF and Presidency University Kolkata.

For further details please contact the PI via email.