Physicist (PhD) - Gravitation & Cosmology
Listing checked September 25, 2026 · pay as published by Mercor
Overview
CritPt is a public benchmark that puts research-level physics problems in front of frontier AI models, testing whether they can reason through real physics research instead of textbook exercises. Mercor matches physicists to four narrow panels: three cover torsionful gravity and axion inflation, one covers high-energy astrophysics. You may create problems, solve them, review work, or audit completed assignments in your own subfield, with the exact task agreed after matching. Every output needs enough written reasoning for another specialist to follow and check. The engagement runs 10 hours per week over 8 to 10 weeks, remote and asynchronous. Read arXiv:2509.26574 before applying to see if the benchmark fits your interests.
What You'll Do9
- 1Create research-level physics problems in your published subfield, aligned with one of the four panel areas.
- 2Solve assigned problems with complete derivations and written reasoning that another specialist can verify.
- 3Review or audit completed physics work against the panel's methods, conventions, and publication standards.
- 4Choose the panel areas where your papers fit and supply an arXiv ID or DOI for your own work in each selected area.
- 5Agree the final assignment scope with the Mercor team after you match to an area.
- 6Document tetrad, spin-connection, and contorsion sign conventions when the problem depends on them.
- 7Integrate coupled cosmological background field equations for assignments that call for numerical cosmology.
- 8Model blazar jets, photohadronic emission, electromagnetic cascades, or multimessenger constraints if matched to high-energy astrophysics.
- 9Use LaTeX, Python, SymPy, and Jupyter to prepare, check, and present your work.
Requirements9
- 1PhD in gravitation, cosmology, astroparticle physics, or a related field.
- 2Published papers on the specific phenomenon: spacetime torsion, Nieh-Yan terms, gravitational Chern-Simons coupling, or high-energy blazar processes. Work in modified gravity broadly does not meet this bar.
- 3Three to five representative papers with arXiv IDs or DOIs, with a preference for the last five years. First-author papers preferred.
- 4A publication record that shows at least one method family: first-order gravity, topological terms in gravity, cosmological perturbation theory, numerical cosmology, or astroparticle modelling.
- 5Care with tetrad and spin-connection sign conventions.
- 6Working skill in LaTeX, Python, SymPy, and Jupyter.
- 7English at B2 or above, including written physics reasoning.
- 8Familiarity with an agentic coding extension in VS Code is useful. You can declare gaps here.
- 9A verifiable record that Mercor can check against the public literature.
Who Should Apply
The strongest fit is a postdoctoral researcher, research scientist, or junior faculty member with a PhD and first-author papers on torsion, Nieh-Yan, Chern-Simons, or high-energy blazar emission. Senior PhD students with a strong first-author record may also apply. The role suits physicists who can write a complete argument and who keep sign conventions straight. Researchers whose publications sit in adjacent areas such as general modified gravity without torsion, Nieh-Yan, or Chern-Simons terms fit less well. The most common reasons candidates score low are selecting panel areas without an arXiv ID or DOI from their own work, or listing papers that do not demonstrate the exact phenomenon. Another common issue is claiming a method family without a publication that shows it.
Salary Insight
Pay runs from $80 to $110 per hour, with the exact rate set by the depth of your subdomain match. This is an hourly contract, not a yearly salary, for 10 hours per week across 8 to 10 weeks. The range sits toward the upper end for part-time research consulting in theoretical physics and reflects the narrow publication match the work requires. Mercor confirms the final rate with you after matching.
Location
Compensation
$80–110/hr
Required Skills
Application Tip
For each panel area you select, attach an arXiv ID or DOI from your own papers and name the method it demonstrates, such as the Mukhanov-Sasaki mode equation or photopion production at the Delta resonance. State your author position on every paper, since first-author work carries extra weight. A selection without proof is not scored, so treat the form as a publication match exercise rather than a general CV upload.
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