Doctoral student in Space Physics - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

Project description

The upper atmosphere of ice giant planet Uranus consists mostly of molecular and atomic hydrogen (H2 and H). Observations of Uranus’ bright hydrogen Lyman-α (H Lyα) emissions by the Voyager spacecraft in 1986 enabled various findings: Efficient Lyα scattering by H2 in the upper atmosphere, a thermal atomic hydrogen exosphere and hot corona, and localized aurora near the magnetic poles. The famous Hubble Space Telescope (HST) observed Uranus between 1998 and 2017 at very different seasons than Voyager.

In this project, a large set of spectra and images by the Hubble Space Telescope containing the prominent Lyα emission is analyzed for the first time. We address several key questions on Uranus’ upper atmosphere and aurora, and their short-term and long-term variability. Original raw data from HST will be processed and analyzed in detail. In addition, numerical simulations of radiative transfer in the upper atmosphere are used to interpret the HST images and spectra.

Currently, there are several activities within NASA and ESA (European Space Agency) to build a space probe to be sent to Uranus and its moons. Our results will provide crucial and helpful insights supporting the mission plans as well as the research on hundreds of exoplanets of the type ’ice giant’.

Third-cycle subject: Electrical Engineering

Supervision: The doctoral student will be supervised by: Lorenz Roth.

What we offer

• The possibility to study in a dynamic and international research environment in collaboration with industries and prominent universities from all over the world.Read more
• A workplace with many employee benefits and monthly salary according to KTH’s Doctoral student salary agreement.
• A postgraduate education at an institution that is active and supportive in matters pertaining to working conditions, gender equality and diversity as well as study environment.
• Help to relocate and be settled in Sweden and at KTH.
• Research visit to the Southwest Research Institute, TX, USA (collaborating institute of KTH) within the project, if circumstances permit.

Eligibility

To be admitted to postgraduate education (Chapter 7, 39 § Swedish Higher Education Ordinance), the applicant must have basic eligibility in accordance with either of the following:

• passed a degree at advanced level,
• completed course requirements of at least 240 higher education credits, of which at least 60 higher education credits at advanced level, or
• in any other way acquired within or outside the country acquired essentially equivalent knowledge.
• Requirements for English equivalent to English B/6, read more here.

Selection

In order to succeed as a doctoral student at KTH you need to be goal oriented and persevering in your work. During the selection process, candidates will be assessed upon their ability to:

• independently pursue his or her work
• collaborate with others,
• have a professional approach,
• analyse and work with complex issues and
• program skills in e.g. MATLAB, C++, Fortran, Python,

Knowledge and experience within space physics or (planetary) astronomy is an asset.

After the qualification requirements, great emphasis will be placed on personal qualities and personal suitability.

Target degree: Doctoral Degree

Information regarding admission and employment

Only those admitted to postgraduate education may be employed as a doctoral student. The total length of employment may not be longer than what corresponds to full-time doctoral education in four years ' time. An employed doctoral student can, to a limited extent (maximum 20%), perform certain tasks within their role, e.g. training and administration. A new position as a doctoral student is for a maximum of one year, and then the employment may be renewed for a maximum of two years at a time.

Doctoral section (Students’ union on KTH Royal Institute of Technology)

You will find contact information for doctoral section on the section's website.

Application

Apply for the position and admission through KTH's recruitment system. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that the application is complete in accordance with the instructions in the advertisement.

Applications must be received at the last closing date at midnight, CET/CEST (Central European Time/entral European Summer Time).

Applications must include the following elements:

• CV including your relevant professional experience and knowledge.
• Application letter with a brief description of why you want to pursue research studies, about what your academic interests are and how they relate to your previous studies and future goals. (Maximum 2 pages long)
• Copies of diplomas and grades from previous university studies and certificates of fulfilled language requirements (see above). Translations into English or Swedish if the original document is not issued in one of these languages.
• Representative publications or technical reports. For longer documents, please provide a summary (abstract) and a web link to the full text.

Other information

Striving towards gender equality, diversity and equal conditions is both a question of quality for KTH and a given part of our values.

For information about processing of personal data in the recruitment process please read here.

We firmly decline all contact with staffing and recruitment agencies and job ad salespersons.

Disclaimer: In case of discrepancy between the Swedish original and the English translation of the job announcement, the Swedish version takes precedence.