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Open positions - 1 PhD & 2 PostDocs

We look forward to receiving your online application including a cover letter describing their research experience and career goals, copies of Bachelor’s and Master’s degree transcripts, a CV, and the names and email addresses of at least two professional references. 

Please note that we exclusively accept applications submitted through our online application portal at ETH (please find links below). Applications via email or postal services will not be considered. Informal inquiries about the thematic direction of the positions are welcome and should also be sent to dornc@phys.ethz.ch (no applications).

Please send your applications no later than April 15, 2023.

For recruitment services the GTC of ETH Zurich apply.

PhD position: Magma Oceans

The PhD is dedicated to explore and refine static interior models for Super-Earths and Sub-Neptunes to better understand the diversity of their interiors and atmospheres. Specifically, the presence of magma oceans and their chemical coupling to the atmosphere are of key interest. With a new generation of in-house interior models, the PhD will explore fundamental questions of exoplanetary science that link to the formation and evolution of distant worlds.

The PhD project is funded for four years. The successful candidate can start earliest in autumn 2023 and no later than February 2024.

Requirements:

This PhD project is highly interdisciplinary between geophysics and exoplanetary science. We seek motivated students with a strong background in geosciences or physics, including atmospheric sciences, astronomy, geochemistry or planetary sciences. Courses throughout the PhD program will familiarise you with the areas you have not been specialising in during your undergraduate studies.

Successful candidates must hold a Masters degree or equivalent by the starting date of the position. Previous research experience and skills will be important criteria during the selection. Familiarity with MAC/Linux/UNIX computer environments, high-performance computing, and Fortran/Python/C computer languages is desirable but not required.

Apply here:

PhD position - Interiors of magma ocean planets

PostDoc: Planet Evolution

The PostDoc is dedicated to explore the evolution of Super-Earths and Sub-Neptunes with a new generation of interior models. The focus is the influence of deep magma oceans on the evolution of planet atmospheres and planetary radii. How do volatiles in magma oceans effect the cooling and chemical differentiation of planets? By combining and further developing existing models, the PostDoc will explore the evolution of volatile-rich magma oceans that exist on hot rocky super-Earths and deep in the interiors of sub-Neptunes. This will also allow the PostDoc to link newly discovered young TESS sub-Neptunes to the generally old population of planets. This project will impact our understanding of planet diversity and is important for the interpretation of exoplanet populations and individual planets.

The PostDoc project is funded for 2+1 years, with the renewal for the third year conditional on performance. The successful candidate can start earliest in autumn 2023 and no later than spring 2024.

Requirements:

This PostDoc project is highly interdisciplinary as it links planetary science, geodynamics, and observations of exoplanets. We seek motivated researchers with a strong background in geosciences or physics or related fields, including, but not limited to, atmospheric sciences, planetary sciences, geodynamics, and geophysics. Successful candidates must hold a PhD degree or equivalent by the starting date of the position. Previous research and publication experience and skills will be important criteria during the selection. Familiarity with MAC/Linux/UNIX computer environments, high-performance computing, and Fortran/Python/C computer languages is desirable but not required.

Apply here:

Postdoc position: Evolution of super-Earths and sub-Neptunes

PostDoc: Interior & Atmosphere

The PostDoc is will focus on the combined characterization of atmospheres & deep interiors of exoplanets using JWST data of transiting exoplanets with RV follow-up observations. This is a pioneering endeavour, as the use of spectroscopic data for the characterization of the deep interior is still very novel. This Postdoc project is a great opportunity to build a unique research profile. The Postdoc is expected to bring in expertise from atmospheric retrieval and learn about the deep interior physics. The exoplanet community is eager to know what we can learn from atmospheres about the deep interior of planets, and this project will achieve key milestones on our way to answer this question.

The PostDoc project is funded for 2+1 years, with the renewal for the third year conditional on performance. The successful candidate can start earliest in autumn 2023 and no later than spring 2024. Collaborators will include Prof. Laura Kreidberg (MPI Heidelberg) for this project.

Requirements:

This PostDoc project is highly interdisciplinary as it links atmospheric sciences, planetary science, and observations of exoplanets. We seek an ambitious postdoctoral fellow with a strong background in observational astronomy or theoretical astrophysics, including, but not limited to, theoretical astrophysics, exoplanet observations, radiative transfer, chemistry, inversion methods, fluid dynamics. Good practical experience in atmospheric retrieval is required. Successful candidates must hold a PhD degree or equivalent by the starting date of the position. Previous research and publication experience and skills will be important criteria during the selection. Familiarity with MAC/Linux/UNIX computer environments, high-performance computing, and Fortran/Python/C computer languages is desirable but not required.

Apply here:

Postdoc position: Atmospheric retrieval and planet interior characterization