Planetary Research Jobs

Applications are invited for a research assistant (PhD student) position at the University of Geneva (Geneva Observatory) working with Prof. Emeline Bolmont on the climate modeling of temperate/hot rocky planets and with Prof. Paul Tackley on related modeling of planetary interiors. The successful applicant is expected to couple a global climate model to a solid convection code, to investigate the impact of degassing on the atmosphere on long timescales. The successful applicant will learn, use and eventually couple two complementary complex codes. First, the Generic-Planetary Climate Model (G-PCM), a 3D Global Climate Model, which computes the atmospheric properties of a planet on short timescales. Second, the solid mantle convection code StagYY (Tackley, 2008), which computes the geodynamical evolution of a planet, accounting for degassing (and possibly recycling) of multiple species on longer timescales. The coupling will be done asynchronously as is done for the Mars Planetary Climate Model (Mars-PEM) to account for the widely different timescales of both components. This PhD will bring an important modeling effort for the understanding of the long term evolution of temperate rocky planets. Setting: This PhD is funded by the newly started National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) Genesis, which is funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF). Genesis is a vibrant new community of researchers from various disciplines (geophysics, chemistry, biology, climate science…) and various Swiss institutions (Universities of Bern, Fribourg, Geneva, Neuchâtel, the Università della Svizzera italiana, the University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, the EPFL, ETHZ and the Paul Scherrer Institute) interested in the origin of life on Earth and the search for life elsewhere. The successful applicant will be also immersed in a community of other PhD students and postdoctoral researchers working on complementary aspects to this project. In practice the student will be based in the Geneva Observatory, which offers one of the most vibrant environments worldwide for exoplanet research. The exoplanet team counts over 60 members. Research topics include exoplanet detection and characterisation (atmospheres, interiors), planetary system dynamics, and instrumentation. The successful applicant will also be part of the Life in the Universe Center in Geneva (CVU), which also brings together scientists from various disciplines, but locally. Additionally, and thanks to Genesis, the successful applicant will travel regularly to ETH Zürich to work with Prof. Paul Tackley on the StagYY code. The University of Geneva is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity in its workplace.