Postdoctoral Researcher in Interiors and Evolution of Sub-Neptunes

We are looking for a postdoctoral researcher to work on the interiors and long-term evolution of sub-Neptunes, within the Exoplanet Interiors and Atmospheres group lead by Prof. Caroline Dorn. The position is embedded in the NCCR Genesis, the National Centre of Competence in Research on the emergence of life in the Universe which gives access to a Switzerland-wide, deliberately interdisciplinary network spanning planetary physics, geochemistry, chemistry and biology.

The position takes two years, but is extendable by a third year subject to NCCR Genesis procedures.

Recent work has unsettled the layered picture of sub-Neptune interiors. Evidence for extensive miscibility between metal, silicates and hydrogen and for the strong coupling between deep interiors and observable envelopes, suggests that the compositional boundaries these planets are usually modelled with may not exist. This opens a set of questions around miscibility, demixing, and chemistry-driven convection, as well as volatile exchange between magma oceans and envelopes, and how all of this imprints on the observational part of the atmosphere.

We deliberately do not prescribe a narrow project, the directions above describe the territory, not the destination. We are interested in hearing which questions you want to pursue and what you would build to answer them. Applicants are asked to sketch their own ideas in the application

• Improve atmosphere-interior evolution models tailored to sub-Neptunes
• Investigate how interior mixing imprints on observable atmosphere
• Link modeling results to spectroscopically observed atmospheres
• Build frameworks to analyse populations of observed sub-Neptunes to test formation hypothesis

• PhD in astrophysics, planetary science, geophysics, physics or a closely related field, completed by the start date
• Strong scientific programming in Python, and comfortable working with version control (git) in a collaborative codebase
• Fluent, critical use of AI-assisted tools in research and code development, we treat these as part of the standard toolkit and expect them to be used with judgement
• Fortran is useful, as parts of our modelling infrastructure rely on it, but is not a requirement
• Experience in one or more of: planetary interior or structure modelling, thermal evolution, high-pressure equations of state, atmospheric modelling, magma-ocean chemistry, or statistical inference
• Independence, curiosity, and an interest in working across disciplinary boundaries

An independent research position in a group working across interior structure, atmospheric characterisation and magma-ocean chemistry, with links to the PLATO mission and JWST programmes. ETH Zurich offers an outstanding research environment, competitive salary and benefits according to ETH regulations, and support for conference travel, computing and career development. Zurich consistently ranks among the world’s most liveable cities.

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