PhD student Positions (m/f/d) | Turbulence, Pebbles and Planetesimals: The Origin of Minor Bodies in the Solar System

Three PhD student Positions in computer science and/or computational astrophysics in the ERC-AdG research group TiPPi at the Planet and Star Formation Department, Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (MPIA), Heidelberg (Ref. 381).

The Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Heidelberg is seeking dedicated and highly qualified PhD students with computational and/or astrophysical backgrounds to join the research group led by Prof. Hubert Klahr, funded by the European Research Council (ERC) Project TiPPi: Turbulence, Pebbles and Planetesimals: The Origin of Minor Bodies in the Solar System.

The solar system’s minor bodies, asteroids, trojans, comets and Kuiper belt objects, are leftover planetary building blocks called planetesimals. The largest of these planetesimals grew into planets through collisions and the accretion of large grains called pebbles. Despite their importance we still do not know where and when they were born in the solar nebula.

Therefore we will develop innovative types of numerical experiment connecting three stages of planetesimal formation in three interlinked work packages. WP1: Lagrangian filter methods for the analysis of turbulence, combined with Machine Learning for pebble sizes and dust opacities, WP2: a hybrid Eulerian adaptive mesh refinement code for the solar nebula connected internally with a tree-code for the pebbles and WP3: an implicit Lagrangian fluid method to treat the elasticity and porosity evolution of the forming planetesimals.

MPIA researchers have preferential access to our super-computing facilities in Garching, including our VERA cluster with 110 nodes of 72 cores each plus 3 nodes with 4 Nvidia A100-40GB GPUs each, dedicated to theory groups of MPI Astronomy as well as to the MPG - RAVEN and COBRA HPC clusters.

Your tasks

• Work package 1: Development and application of a machine learning based predictor for dust and ice particle size distributions for three-dimensional radiation and magneto-hydro dynamical models of disks around young stars based on measured turbulence properties.
• Work package 2: Integration, testing and application of a Lagrangian N-body self-gravity scheme for Eulerian three-dimensional radiation and magneto-hydro dynamical models of disks around young stars.
• Work package 3: The successful candidate will work on developing, testing, documenting and applying novel implicit time integrators for Lagrangian hydro codes in the astrophysical context to study the shape, internal structure and dynamical properties of the primordial asteroid and comet populations. The approach will explore two possibilities: Implementing the missing gravity physics in open source implicit Lagrangian codes like SPlisHSPlasH and alternatively developing an implicit integrator for GIZMO.

You will be part of a dedicated project comprising the PI, three post docs and three PhD students in total with the joint goal to self consistently form asteroids and comets in a turbulent solar nebula. The ERC group is part of the theory group (headed by Hubert Klahr) within the Planet and Star Formation department. Our PhD students will find a scientifically stimulating environment at MPIA with theorists and observers in the fields of planet and star formation, exo-planetary atmospheres, galaxies and cosmology. If suited you are also welcome to apply for membership in the  International Max Planck Research School for Astronomy and Cosmic Physics at the University of Heidelberg (IMPRS-HD)

Your profile

Applicants should have a PhD in computer science, physics, astrophysics, or a closely related field. Experience with GPU and parallel coding, numerical methods, machine learning tools and visualization would be beneficial.

Our offer

Appointments are anticipated for an initial period of three years with possible extensions for up to four years. MPIA provides funds for publications, travel and computer equipment. The remuneration is in accordance to the funding guidelines of the Max-Planck-Gesellschaft for the promotion of junior scientists based on the collective agreement for the public service, TVoeD, 65% of E13, step 1 for the first year, step 2 for the second and following years. Social benefits are granted according to the regulations for public service. There is flexibility in starting dates, with preference for starting dates before the fall of 2025. 

Interested candidates should provide the following in their application:

• cover letter (1-2 page)
• brief CV (max. 3 pages)
• publication list
• brief research statement (including past, current, and future research – max. 3 pages not inc. references)

Please concatenate all documents in the order listed above in a single pdf file. Please also arrange for 3 letters of reference to be provided separately (see below). Deadline for applications is November 1st 2024: apply here

Any time before submission, candidates need to register with the online system to generate a registration code, which should then be forwarded to referees for letter submission.

For inquiries, please contact Hubert Klahr (klahr@mpia.de). For assistance in submitting the application, contact techsupportcareer@mpia.de.

The Max Planck Society strives for gender equity and diversity. We welcome applications from all backgrounds. Furthermore, the Max Planck Society aims to increase the proportion of women in areas where they are underrepresented. Women are therefore explicitly encouraged to apply.  A good work-life balance is an important concern for us at the Institute. We offer our employees flexible working hours and provide support in finding suitable childcare facilities. The Max Planck Society has set itself the goal of employing more severely disabled people. Applications from severely disabled persons are expressly encouraged.

If you have any questions about equal opportunities, please contact the Equal Opportunity Officer (equality@mpia.de), or Ralf Launhardt (rl@mpia.de) on the subject of severe disabilities.