Research Assistent / PhD student (m/f/d)

Profile:
The Planetary Sciences and Remote Sensing Research Group at the Institute of Geological Sciences, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany, participates in various ESA, NASA and JAXA space missions, through involvement in spacecraft instrumentation. Some projects are funded within the framework of the national space program by the National Space Administration (DLR). Other projects are funded by the German Research Funding Organization (DFG) and the European Research Council (ERC). The ERC-funded project 'Habitability of Oceans and Aqueous Systems on Icy Satellites' (Habitat-OASIS) mainly focuses on investigations of the icy moons Enceladus at Saturn and Europa at Jupiter, which both have high astrobiological potential. Data from Enceladus, collected until 2017 by the Cassini mission's Cosmic Dust Analyzer experiment, has already revealed the presence of a subsurface salty ocean, rice in organics, within the moon. A future mission to the Jovian system will carly a similar experiment, in which our group is involved, to explore the subsurface ocean of Europa. Website: https://www.geo.fu-berlin.de/en/geol/fachrichtungen/planet/index.html Job description:
As a Research Assistant / PhD student, you will support the research group in the field of simulating spacecraft data of organic signatures in mass spectra obtained by future space missions to the icy moons of the outer solar system. The opportunity to undertake research leading to the successful attainment of a doctorate is provided. The tasks include in detail:

• Recording of time-of-flight mass spectra with our globally unique analogue experiment for the simulation of high-speed impact of water ice particles onto space instruments
• Creating a library of mass spectra of organic compounds which could be detected on Enceladus and Europa moons by future missions
• Creating a library of mass spectra of microbiological lifeforms postulated to be similar to those that could be detected on Enceladus and Europa by future missions
• Chemical modelling of radiogenic modifications of the above substance classes

Requirements of employment:

• Master's degree in Planetary Sciences, Chemistry or Microbiology

Desired experience:

• Very good knowledge of English (Cl level) or a master's thesis written in English Laboratory experience in analytical Chemistry
• Practical experience with mass spectrometry
• Practical Experience with databases
• Demonstrated basic knowledge in Planetary Sciences (adequate completion of at least one university-level course, or corresponding practical experience)
• Knowledge of programming in suitable languages, such as Python or R

Please submit your application, together with suitable supporting documents, stating the identifier, in PDF format (preferably as one document) by e-mail no later than August 24th, 2020 to Prof. Dr. Frank Postberg: plansec@zedat.fu-berlin.de or postal to Freie Universität Berlin
Fachbereich Geowissenschaften
Institut für Geologische Wissenschaften
FR Planetologie und Fernerkundung
Herrn Prof. Dr. Frank Postberg
Malteserstr. 74-100
Haus D, 12249 Berlin (Lankwitz)
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