Job opportunities

Postdoctoral Position (2 years) available at Institut d’Astrophysique Spatiale, Université Paris Sud

Position Filled

The Institut d’Astrophysique Spatiale (IAS, University Paris Sud) is seeking for a 2-year postdoctoral fellowship on the Horizon-2020 funded program PTAL (Planetary Terrestrial Analogues Library). The PTAL project aims to build and exploit a multi-instrument spectral data base and joint spectral interpretation tools using various techniques (XRD, SEM, LIBS, IR and Raman spectroscopy), in order to support current and future investigations of planetary space missions.

The main purpose of the fellowship is to characterize well-defined rock and mineral samples with flight spare models and to compare the derived compositions of samples with remote and in situ data of instruments onboard planetary space missions (Martian missions, Hayabusa2, BepiColombo). The activities of the successful applicant shall consist in 1) acquiring near-infrared spectra of XRD- and SEM-characterized rock samples (resulting from field trips and alteration experiments) using flight spare models of MicrOmega (Hayabusa-2 and ExoMars20) and NIR lab spectrometers at IAS facilities, 2) acquiring LIBS spectra of the characterized samples using the qualification model of ChemCam/Mars Science Laboratory, 3) analyzing the NIR and LIBS spectral data and document these analyses, 4) performing coordinated analyses of the Martian surface from orbital and landed platforms with the new spectral data.

The PTAL consortium (https://ptal.eu/) consists of three partners, located in Norway (Oslo Univ.), France (Paris Sud Univ.) and Spain (Valladolid Univ.). The fellowship will have also the opportunity to be in contact with other research labs (Japan, Germany, France, USA). LIBS measurements will be performed at the IRAP/Toulouse laboratory who is in charge of the LIBS instrument onboard MSL.

Applicants are requested to submit a brief cover letter and curriculum vitae.

For further information and application submission please contact francois.poulet@ias.u-psud.fr

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