CSIRO Engineering Fellowship in Superfast, Wide-Field Radio Cameras for Aperture Arrays

• Great opportunity for an early career researcher with a PhD or engineering degree plus Masters in electrical engineering, computer science/engineering, astrophysics/physics, mathematics or software engineering
• Directly support the upcoming Low-frequency Australian Megametre Baseline Demonstrator Array (LAMBDA) project
• Work with co-located engineers and astronomers at CSIRO Space & Astronomy

CSIRO Early Research Career (CERC) Postdoctoral Fellowships provide opportunities to scientists and engineers and aim to develop the next generation of future leaders of the innovation system.

The successful candidate will develop an FPGA prototype of a groundbreaking all-sky radio camera for large aperture arrays that will occupy the landscape of modern radio astronomy. This innovative radio camera prototype will generate high-speed (over 1000 FPS) real-time images while consuming less than 5% of the energy of current methods. It addresses computational and bandwidth challenges, making it energy-efficient and cost-effective for discovering explosive and transient astrophysical phenomena. This high-speed, all-sky radio camera will be the first of its kind, revolutionizing our understanding of the fundamental nature of matter and high-energy phenomena in the universe. 

This project will directly support several aperture array initiatives at CSIRO Space & Astronomy, including all-sky transient monitors, future lunar radio arrays, and a Low-frequency Australian Megametre Baseline Demonstrator Array (LAMBDA) concept that aims to extend Square Kilometre Array (SKA-low) by constructing SKA-low-like stations at CSIRO sites like Parkes and Narrabri. The prototype --designed for dense, large-N arrays-- will enhance their capabilities and amplify the impact potential of large upcoming arrays like SKA-low. Compared to existing alternatives, the FPGA technology will be leveraged to achieve a larger processing and memory bandwidth when working with large aperture arrays. The project will be a pathfinder for fast, all-sky imaging with future mid-frequency aperture arrays consisting of thousands to tens of thousands of antennas being conceived by CSIRO Space & Astronomy and several international groups for monitoring the sky for transient phenomena at radio wavelengths.