Intern in the Science Operations Department - Discovering Astronomical Anomalies with AnomalyMatch

Location
ESAC, Villanueva de la Cañada, Spain

Our team and mission

Under the direct authority of D/SCI, the Head of the Science Operations Department is responsible for the development of the science operations infrastructure under the Directorate responsibility, the operation of the Directorate’s missions once successfully commissioned, and the curation of all scientific data in the missions’ legacy phase. These responsibilities are discharged in full coordination with the Directorate’s Departments and Offices and as appropriate, with the Directorate of Operations (D/OPS).

In implementing their duties, SCI-S is supported by the:

• Mission Management and Science Operations Division (SCI-SO);
• Science Operations Development Division (SCI-SD);
• Data Science and Archives Division (SCI-SA).

Candidates interested are encouraged to visit the ESA website: http://www.esa.int

Field(s) of activity for the internship

Topic of the internship: Beyond Images: Discovering Astronomical Anomalies in Light Curves and Spectra with AnomalyMatch.

Astronomical archives contain vast collections of spectra and light curves that may hide rare objects, unusual variability, and unexpected physical phenomena. This project will extend AnomalyMatch, a semi-supervised and active-learning framework for finding scientifically interesting anomalies from only a few labelled examples, to support such one-dimensional data.

AnomalyMatch recently received global press attention after discovering hundreds of previously unknown anomalies in the Hubble archive and has demonstrated the capacity to trawl hundreds of millions of astronomical cutouts. It is also integrated into ESA Datalabs, allowing researchers to apply the tool directly to large astronomical datasets and scalable computing resources.

So far, AnomalyMatch has been limited to image data. You will adapt its machine-learning methodology and software for spectra and/or light curves and validate the resulting approach on real astronomical datasets. The project may also explore combining measurements from different telescopes or instruments, opening new possibilities for discovering objects that appear ordinary in one dataset but unusual when multiple observations are considered together.

Behavioural competencies

Result Orientation
Operational Efficiency
Fostering Cooperation
Relationship Management
Continuous Improvement
Forward Thinking

For more information, please refer to ESA Core Behavioural Competencies guidebook

Education

You must be a university student, preferably in your final or second-to-last year of university course at Master's level. In addition, you must be able to prove that you will be enrolled at your university for the entire duration of the internship.

Additional requirements

The working languages of the Agency are English and French. A good knowledge of one of these is required. Knowledge of another ESA Member State language is an asset.

During the interview, your motivation for applying to this role will be explored.

You should also have:

• strong Python programming skills;
• background in machine learning and neural networks;
• experience with PyTorch or a similar deep-learning framework;
• familiarity with astronomical spectra, light curves, or scientific data analysis would be advantageous.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusiveness
ESA is an equal opportunity employer, committed to achieving diversity within the workforce and creating an inclusive working environment. We therefore welcome applications from all qualified candidates irrespective of gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religious beliefs, age, disability or other characteristics.

At the Agency we value diversity, and we welcome people with disabilities. Whenever possible, we seek to accommodate individuals with disabilities by providing the necessary support at the workplace. The Human Resources Department can also provide assistance during the recruitment process. If you would like to discuss this further, please contact us via email at ESA.Student.Internships@esa.int.

Important Information and Disclaimer
During the recruitment process, the Agency may request applicants to undergo selection tests.

The information published on ESA’s careers website regarding internship conditions is correct at the time of publication. It is not intended to be exhaustive and may not address all questions you would have.

Nationality

Please note that applications are only considered from nationals of one of the following States: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Applicants from Canada as a Cooperating State can apply as well as those from Bulgaria, Croatia and Malta as European Cooperating States (ECS).