PhD Position in Exploration of Planetary Magnetospheres and Habitable moons

PhD Position in Exploration of Planetary Magnetospheres and Habitable Moons

Applications are invited for a PhD position at the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS) Astronomy & Astrophysics Section. The PhD student would be part of the Planetary Magnetospheres Group and supervised by Dr. Mika Holmberg. The PhD research will be focused on improving spacecraft observation analysis methods to maximise the scientific outcome of missions focused on the exploration of planetary magnetospheres and habitable moons, in particular the recently launched Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) mission. The Astronomy & Astrophysics Section is a vibrant and inclusive community of more than 30 researchers working on planetary science, space physics, solar physics, space weather, star formation, and high-energy astrophysics.

The JUICE mission is a large-class European Space Agency mission that was launched in April 2023. The main science objective of JUICE is to study the space environment of Jupiter, with a special focus on Jupiter’s moons Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto and their ability to host alien life forms. In August 2024 JUICE performed its first gravity assist manoeuvre as it flew by the Moon and Earth. The successful PhD candidate will analyse and simulate the recently performed JUICE space environment observations near the Earth, the Moon, and in the solar wind. The focus will be to expand our understanding of how the interaction between a spacecraft and its environment can impact space environment observations, in particular particle and field observations. The successful PhD applicant will support the particle and field instrument teams by developing data correction techniques, which are needed in order to perform detailed and accurate studies of Jupiter’s space environment and the habitability of Jupiter’s moons. The successful candidate will also contribute to studies of the aurora of Jupiter’s moon Ganymede and how auroral particles interact with the JUICE spacecraft. Ganymede is a key area of interest for JUICE, not only because the moon hosts a potentially habitable subsurface ocean, but also because Ganymede is the only moon known to have its own magnetic field, which creates a unique space environment around the moon that causes phenomena such as aurora.

The successful candidate will become an integrated part of the global space plasma science and JUICE mission communities. Understanding the interaction between a spacecraft and its environment is also relevant to guarantee the health and survival of any spacecraft, both commercial and scientific. The successful candidate will therefore also get the opportunity to participate in collaborative projects and workshops with the space industry. Additionally, there will be opportunities to attend major space physics conferences and visit our collaborators across Europe, the United States and Asia. The Planetary Magnetospheres group works on topics including: (1) spacecraft charging and its impact on particle and field measurements, (2) the exploration of Jupiter’s magnetosphere with ESA’s JUICE and NASA’s Juno and Galileo missions by modelling moon–magnetosphere interactions and examining in situ fields, plasma, and energetic particles and multi-wavelength auroral emissions from X-ray, radio, and UV, (3) the study of solar wind–magnetosphere–ionosphere coupling at Earth using radio data from orbiting spacecraft like Wind, ground-based magnetometer data, and upstream solar wind monitoring. These are all topics relevant to the research of the PhD applicant, with collaboration opportunities across the group. At the core of our team’s work are high standards in coding and data visualisation, underpinned by our community-facing approach and openness to sharing our software and tools.

This position is for 4 years and full-time, with a flexible start date as early as January 2025. The position is funded by an SFI-IRC Pathways grant awarded to Dr. Mika Holmberg. The salary follows the Irish government PhD stipend of €22,000 per year (tax free). This amount may be subject to increase in 2025 in line with updates to the SFI PhD stipend. Applicants need to have a bachelor or master degree in physics, space physics, computer science, or a closely related field. A good command of English is required. Advantageous experiences include, but are not limited to, spacecraft plasma and fields data analysis, modeling, as well as programming in Python. Applications should be submitted through the DIAS online e-recruitment system by 5pm on November 30, 2024. Candidates should upload as one pdf document:

- A cover letter explaining motivation and scientific interests (1 page maximum)
- A Curriculum Vitae (2 pages maximum)
- A transcript of university grades
- The names of 2 referees who will be asked to provide a recommendation letter if the applicant is called for an interview

At DIAS, we are committed to building an inclusive scientific community, distinguished by scientific excellence, gender balance, and diversity. The DIAS Gender Equality and Inclusion Action Plan may be found here and we welcome applications from suitably qualified candidates of all genders and backgrounds. Please direct any enquiries about the position to: Dr. Mika Holmberg, email: mika.holmberg@dias.ie

#J-18808-Ljbffr