Student Assistant (f/m/d) – Planetary Science and Remote Sensing

About the role

The Planetary Science and Remote Sensing group at the Institute of Geological Sciences, Freie Universität Berlin, is involved in NASA’s Europa Clipper mission through work on the dust detector instrument. The team studies Europa’s dust environment using theoretical models, and the student role supports this research effort.

The position is offered for 41 hours per month and is limited until 29.02.2028, which marks the end of the project. The assignment is suitable for a master’s thesis in planetary science or physics.

The work focuses on using a software tool developed by the group to analyze how small dust particles are ejected from planetary moons. This supports preparations for measurements by the Surface Dust Analyzer (SUDA) on the NASA Europa Clipper mission to Jupiter’s moon Europa. The project also examines how changes over time in Europa’s dust environment may influence these measurements.

Responsibilities

• Work under supervision with a software tool created by the research group.
• Use the tool to study the ejection of small dust particles from planetary moons.
• Support research that prepares for SUDA measurements on the Europa Clipper mission.
• Contribute to the analysis of how Europa’s dust environment varies over time and how that affects measurement outcomes.

Requirements

• Programming ability.
• Background in classical mechanics or the dynamics of solar system bodies.
• Interest in or knowledge of planetology.
• Very good English skills at B2/C1 level.

Additional information

This role is closely connected to ongoing space-science research at Freie Universität Berlin. It can be a strong fit for a student planning a master’s thesis in planetary science or physics.

Contact

For questions, please reach out to Dr. Jürgen Schmidt at juergen.schmidt@fu-berlin.de or by phone at 030 838 71050.