Research will be carried out in the framework of the newly established DFG priority program “Exploring the Diversity of Exoplanets” (www-astro.physik.tu-berlin.de/exoplanet-diversity/) for the project “Interior-atmosphere feedbacks and the nature of detected sub-Neptunian planets”. The project will be conducted at the TU Berlin, Center of Astronomy and Astrophysics in cooperation with the Institute of Planetary Research of the German Aerospace Center (DLR). It focuses on the modeling of the interior structures, interior evolution and outgassing of known sub-Neptunian extrasolar planets investigating the properties of the resulting atmospheres and the interactions between atmosphere and interior. The project is split into two sub-projects dealing with interior and atmosphere modeling.

The successful candidate will work with Dr. Mareike Godolt on the atmosphere modeling sub-project, extending and applying one-dimensional atmosphere models for gas and rocky planets to the possible atmosphere scenarios of sub-Neptunes. The work will be carried out in close collaboration with the successful candidate for the interior-modelling sub-project supervised by Dr. Nicola Tosi. It further includes building and applying atmospheric escape parametrizations from detailed atmospheric escape studies in collaboration with the Institut fuer Weltraumforschung, Graz.

Requirements: university degree (Master, Diplom or equivalent) in physics, meteorology, astronomy or related disciplines; programming experience in a high-level language (FORTRAN, C, Python or similar); basic knowledge of astrophysics, radiative transfer or atmospheric physics; experience in numerical modeling beneficial

Please send your written application with the reference number II-515/17 and a letter of motivation including a description of your research interests, CV, copies of university degrees and contact details for at least two letters of reference to:

Technische Universitaet Berlin – Der Praesident – Fakultaet II Zentrum fuer Astronomie und Astrophysik Dr. Mareike Godolt, Sekr. EW 8-1 Hardenbergstr. 36, 10623 Berlin or by e-mail to [email protected]

Application deadline: October 31, 2017