PhD: Exoplanet Atmospheres & Biosignatures (LIFE)

ETH Zurich; Zürich; On-site; CHF 55,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Fully funded four-year Doctoral Posit.

Conference travel support

Job summary

ETH Zurich invites applications for one or two Doctoral Student positions to study atmospheric characterisation of temperate terrestrial exoplanets and search for signs of life within the Exoplanets and Habitability Group led by Prof. Sascha P. Quanz.

This role is closely connected to the LIFE space mission, a mid-infrared nulling interferometer for direct atmospheric analysis of nearby exoplanets. The successful candidates will join the LIFE Science Team, work with ETH Zurich researchers and

Qualifications

• Master's degree or equivalent in astrophysics, planetary science, atmospheric science, physics or related field.
• Strong interest in exoplanet science, atmospheres, habitability and biosignatures.
• Programming skills, preferably Python; knowledge of AI/ML tools is an asset.

Responsibilities

• Develop and apply atmospheric models and retrievals for temperate terrestrial exoplanets.
• Explore ML/AI approaches for atmospheric inference and interpretation.
• Collaborate with LIFE Science Team and LIFE Instrument Science Team to translate results into science requirements.

Skills

Exoplanet science

Atmospheric science

Python programming

Team collaboration

Education

Master's degree in astrophysics or related field

Tools

Python

Job description

ETH Zurich invites applications for one or two Doctoral Student positions to study atmospheric characterisation of temperate terrestrial exoplanets and search for signs of life within the Exoplanets and Habitability Group led by Prof. Sascha P. Quanz.

This role is closely connected to the LIFE space mission, a mid-infrared nulling interferometer for direct atmospheric analysis of nearby exoplanets. The successful candidates will join the LIFE Science Team, work with ETH Zurich researchers and