PhD projects in Cosmochemistry/Planetary Materials
Investigating the history of the Solar System and the formation and differentiation of planets through laboratory analyses of extraterrestrial samples
A major research focus at the Planetary Science Department is to investigate the history of the Solar System and the formation and differentiation of planets through laboratory analyses of extraterrestrial samples. To this end, new analytical facilities at MPS include a clean laboratory for low-blank sample preparation, two Neoma MC-ICPMS, a Triton XT TIMS, an iCAP TQ-ICPMS, and a laser ablation system.
We offer PhD projects with the following research topics:
- Isotope anomalies in meteorites and their components for understanding the early evolution of the solar accretion disk, and the relationship between meteorites and the building blocks of the planets
- Short-lived radionuclides for dating early Solar System processes, including the formation of meteorite components and the accretion, differentiation, and cooling of planetesimals
- Mass-dependent isotope variations for tracing chemical fractionations among planetary bodies, including volatile element depletion and internal differentiation
Interested candidates should outline which of these three research areas they prefer and are welcome to propose own research ideas and projects.
