Gravitation, Cosmology and Astrophysics Physicist (PhD)

Methods we expect to find in your own publications You should be able to point to your own papers demonstrating at least one of the following families: First-order gravity: Einstein-Cartan-Palatini formalism, tetrad and spin-connection variables, spacetime torsion and contorsion decomposition Topological terms in gravity: Nieh-Yan topological invariant, gravitational Chern-Simons coupling to the Pontryagin density Cosmological perturbation theory: Mukhanov-Sasaki mode equation, primordial curvature power spectrum, slow-roll approximation Numerical cosmology: integration of coupled background field equations in modified gravity Astroparticle modelling: relativistic beaming and Doppler boosting, photohadronic processes, electromagnetic cascades, one-zone emission models Who we are looking for A PhD in gravitation, cosmology, astroparticle physics or a closely related field.

This is a hard requirement. Postdoctoral researchers, research scientists and junior faculty are the strongest fit. Senior PhD students with a strong first-author record are welcome to apply. Published work on the specific phenomenon above, not the adjacent one. This is the single most common reason we decline otherwise excellent physicists. Working in modified gravity is not enough if your papers are not on torsion, Nieh-Yan or Chern-Simons terms.

Command of the numerical methods is not enough if you have not published on the phenomenon itself. A verifiable publication record. Three to five representative papers with arXiv IDs or DOIs, ideally from the last five years. First author strongly preferred. Every paper you list will be checked against the public record. Sign-convention discipline. Work in this area turns on tetrad and spin-connection conventions, and we are looking for people who are precise about them. Working proficiency with LaTeX, Python, SymPy and Jupyter.

Some familiarity with an agentic coding extension in VS Code is useful. Gaps here are acceptable if you declare them honestly. English at B2 or above, including written reasoning. A large part of the value you add is how clearly you set out your argument. Application steps Apply and complete the attached form. Basic information, education, research experience, your method self-attestation, and up to five of the areas above that you are the best fit for.

For each area you select, give an arXiv ID or DOI of your own paper as proof, with your author position and the methods it demonstrates. A selection without proof is not scored. We verify your papers and authorship against the public record. Then one of two things happens. Either we onboard you directly, or we invite you to a short live alignment call to agree the area and the assignment with you. A brief 30 to 45 minute assessment may be added, but only where we need it. Most applicants will not see one.

Commitment and rate 10 hours per week, sustained across an 8 to 10 week window, starting immediately. Remote and asynchronous with no fixed hours. $80 to $110 per hour, set by depth of subdomain match.

• Complete Mercor's role-specific application or assessment.
• Review the current Mercor listing before applying.
• Use accurate experience evidence that directly matches the structured requirements.