The Physics and Astronomy Department at the University of Leicester wishes to appoint a postdoctoral researcher to undertake a programme of original research in the field of giant planet atmospheric science, utilising remote sensing data from a range of space- and ground-based observatories. You will join a planetary science team addressing the aims of a grant awarded by the European Research Council (ERC) to Dr. Leigh Fletcher. The appointment will initially be for a period of up to four years.

The “GIANTCLIMES” programme seeks to study the climates of the four giant planets over large spans of time, allowing us to investigate cycles of meteorology, circulation, and chemical processes shaping the environments on these worlds. Inversions of planetary spectra, from the ultraviolet to the microwave, will be used to reconstruct these atmospheres in three dimensions to explore their temporal variability and the processes coupling different atmospheric regimes. You will analyse subsets of data from Juno, Cassini, Spitzer and the James Webb Space Telescope (among others), complemented by observations from Earth-based facilities. We are therefore particularly interested in candidates with a background in planetary atmospheres and spectroscopic modelling techniques, but all applicants with a strong background in planetary science are encouraged to apply.

Closing date: 5 April 2017

Full details at: http://goo.gl/DVpnWe

Informal enquiries welcome: Dr. Leigh Fletcher, [email protected]